I am trying my best
After the 2024 Paris Olympics, three female faces of Vietnamese sports have been and are receiving significant attention: Nguyen Thuy Linh (badminton), Pham Thi Hue (rowing) and Vo Thi My Tien (swimming). Each of them has left positive results in their professional skills and Vietnamese sports at the present time, so they can be considered the most beautiful flowers that the country's sports have contributed to Vietnamese Women's Day, October 20.
Nguyen Thuy Linh shared: “After the 2024 Paris Olympics, I have accumulated many things. In particular, I know more about my limitations to improve.” In mid-September 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City, Thuy Linh made history for herself and the country's badminton when she reached the finals and won the women's singles championship of the 2024 Vietnam Open Badminton Tournament. The result recorded Thuy Linh as the first female tennis player from Vietnam to win three consecutive seasons in this event. The above tournament is the first international tournament that Thuy Linh has returned to compete in since the 2024 Paris Olympics (France).
Right on the court after the historic final match of the 2024 Vietnam International Badminton Open, Nguyen Thuy Linh expressed her feelings: “I didn’t think I would win this, but when everyone cheered me on, I kept in mind that I had to try my best. My victory is also the victory of Vietnamese women’s badminton to once again affirm my professional ability!”
Thuy Linh has never talked about her important goals in front of the media. In fact, the tennis player's main focus for herself in 2024 is to enter the top 20 female tennis players in the world. When reaching the top 20, Thuy Linh will have more opportunities to compete with top opponents. Right now, Thuy Linh is in Europe to compete in two high-level tournaments of the International Badminton Federation (BWF) in Denmark and Germany.
“Thuy Linh is very focused on the goal of accumulating points and improving her ranking, so before going to Europe, she practiced very hard. We always appreciate the professionalism and self-discipline that Thuy Linh sets for herself,” said Mr. Khoa Trung Kien, head of the badminton department (Department of Physical Education and Sports). At least, Thuy Linh is one of the athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics and has successfully returned to compete, achieving the results that Vietnamese sports have prepared for.
We are not inferior to Asian opponents.
As this article was published, rower Pham Thi Hue was completing procedures to leave Uzbekistan to return to Vietnam after successfully competing in the 2024 Asian Rowing Championship. The greatest significance for this rower personally was that she won 2 Gold Medals at the tournament (1 Gold Medal in the women's double sculls, 1 Gold Medal in the women's eight-person team sculls).
“The Asian Championship is the first official international tournament I have competed in since the 2024 Paris Olympics in August. Before going to Uzbekistan, my teammates and I were only focused on achieving the best results. When competing in the finals, I always told myself to never let go but to do my best. My teammates and I succeeded,” said Pham Thi Hue.
The sunburnt face of this rower, who is also a mother of two, partly reflects that rowing is a harsh sport. Anyone (including Pham Thi Hue) who has come to rowing has concerns about the story of women always needing to beautify themselves, but because they are familiar with the sun, wind, steam and rivers, they ignore that to focus on their profession.
However, the victory and many medals in important international competitions are the greatest encouragement for Pham Thi Hue to overcome obstacles and still have a love for the profession. She once said that she never thought of leaving the oars, racing boats and rivers because this is the passion of her sports career.
“I am fortunate to have participated in many international rowing competitions in Southeast Asia and Asia. Through each competition, I learned many things and I realized that Vietnamese female athletes are not inferior to their opponents on the general level in the continent. Once competing, no one wants to leave their rowing hands,” Pham Thi Hue shared. 2024 is a memorable year for Pham Thi Hue’s career because she will be participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics for the first time. With two more gold medals at the 2024 Asian Rowing Championship, Pham Thi Hue will have achieved fulfillment for herself.
Medals are the result of everyone's efforts.
Vo Thi My Tien is certainly the most notable female athlete at the 2024 National Swimming Championship. The small girl from Long An is not even 1m65 tall but won nine Gold Medals in the events she participated in and helped her team finish second overall.
“The national swimming championship is truly the tournament I always put in the most effort. After returning from the 2024 Paris Olympics, this is an important tournament that I return to compete in. This year, my result is the overall result of the whole team,” Vo Thi My Tien modestly shared. My Tien is one of 16 Vietnamese athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics and at that time, the coaching staff of the Vietnamese swimming team appreciated her great effort in the 200m individual medley event.
Last year, My Tien received the title of Best Female Athlete at the 2023 National Swimming Championship. This year, it is predicted that she will continue to achieve this title. My Tien rarely talks about herself because she is a person of few words. But when we get to know each other and talk, she is very open. My Tien once said that her highest goal is still to win the SEA Games Gold Medal.
Up to now, Vietnamese swimming has only recorded Nguyen Thi Anh Vien as the only female athlete to win a Gold Medal in the above arena. In the two SEA Games 31 and SEA Games 32, Vo Thi My Tien won Silver and Bronze Medals for herself, but her personal goals must still be higher. It is not an exaggeration to say that Vo Thi My Tien is currently the best female swimmer in domestic competitions in Vietnam. However, the female swimmer from Long An is always modest and says that she has to accumulate more.
The 2024 National Swimming Championship saw My Tien as the only athlete among the participating athletes (male and female) who won more than 5 individual Gold Medals. “Vietnamese Swimming focuses on investing in each outstanding individual and based on development ability, we have the goal of having athletes compete in important international tournaments.
Vo Thi My Tien is currently one of the people with good expertise for Vietnamese swimming to continue to focus on and practice professionally," said a representative of the swimming department (Department of Physical Education and Sports) after the 2024 National Swimming Championship. Vo Thi My Tien is 19 years old, the most energetic age of her career, so this athlete will certainly go far in the future.
