A valuable role model
Talking about student Le Thi Cam Tu, coach Vu Ngoc Loi of the short-distance event group of the Vietnam Athletics Team shared: Tu is a qualified person. This is seen in professional indicators. I always consider indicators based on many factors including age, science and practice and athlete mobility. That is why I said that Tu has the qualities to run short distances".
The female athlete from An Giang said that the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand was the first time she participated in the Southeast Asian Games. When I started running, I just kept in mind that I had to do my best. Just like that, I ran as fast as I could. When I looked at the results, I was surprised to know that I had achieved the same number as the entire domestic record, Cam Tu confided.
Few people know that Cam Tu was carefully calculated by the coaching staff at the last minute to participate in the main event at the 33rd SEA Games. After former player Tran Thi Nhi Yen withdrew, Cam Tu took the responsibility of competing for a medal in the 200m event. Therefore, many people joked that Cam Tu was the perfect replacement in the women's 200m event at the 33rd SEA Games.
The professional preparation tactics are kept secret by coach Vu Ngoc Loi and the coaching staff until the official competition of the 33rd SEA Games. Because psychology is the most important thing. It will affect athletes if they are affected by external factors or receive too much media attention.
During the training process, I was instructed by the coach to be meticulous and above all to ensure speed. My coach has instructed me very carefully that when I am on the track, I should not let the opponents affect my spirit, but speed up as much as possible, the female player added.
Entering her 20s, attending the Southeast Asian Games for the first time, Le Thi Cam Tu is considered by athletics experts to be one of the athletes who left the most impressive results for the Vietnam Athletics Team.
"There are professional results that need to be viewed from many perspectives. With Cam Tu's achievement, we are really satisfied because the athlete broke the record and won medals right after participating for the first time in the SEA Games," said Mr. Nguyen Duc Nguyen, leader of the Vietnam Athletics team.
A memorable record of his career
The professional statistic of 23 seconds 27 is recognized as the National Record for the women's 200m event set by former athlete Vu Thi Huong in 2010. After many years of participating in the SEA Games and even the National Championships have been held, professionals have not been able to find a face to break this record.
Even young talent Tran Thi Nhi Yen has not surpassed the National record. However, Le Thi Cam Tu could do it. After 15 years, she surpassed her seniors' parameters by affirming her expertise with a time of 23 seconds 14 and winning a Silver Medal in the 200m, at the 33rd SEA Games.
More than 4 months ago, Le Thi Cam Tu only had a result of 23 seconds 49 and won the runner-up position at the 200m distance of the 2025 National Athletics Championship. At the above competition (held in Da Nang), Cam Tu once shared: "I am still trying to improve my professional achievements. The opportunity to participate in the 33rd SEA Games is still ahead and I can't predict anything."
After 4 months, Cam Tu did her best in preparing to win a Silver Medal at the 33rd SEA Games, while breaking the National record. The first national record of my career will be the most memorable. I will definitely never forget, the young girl of Vietnam's athletics added.
When asked Cam Tu what helped her surprise with such a very high-quality professional achievement? The female player said she ran at her best: "Sure, I think I have more luck with this achievement exceeding the national record. In addition, the Singapore athlete is the strongest in the region in the 200m distance, so when she took the lead, I was determined to keep chasing her, so my index also increased significantly.
Vietnam Athletics has dominated short distances (100m, 200m for women) in many previous SEA Games. However, at this time, we have not yet regained the Gold Medal record. After Vu Thi Huong and Le Tu Chinh were no longer in the Vietnam Athletics Team, the face of Tran Thi Nhi Yen was expected to make the best results. Unfortunately, she decided to retire from the Vietnam Athletics Team. Therefore, the belief and professional prediction that it can succeed in the future is placed on Le Thi Cam Tu.
The dream of winning a Gold Medal
Cam Tu shared that she came to athletics as an option to become stronger in life. People will understand that practicing each event in athletics is very harsh. Especially for short-distance events, the speed factor is paramount. Therefore, players like us have to train at the highest intensity. Injuries are also likely to happen, but when I have focused and become passionate about my content, everyone does not give up, said Cam Tu.
Holding the 33rd SEA Games Silver Medal in her hand, the female player said that she was still determined to change the color of the medal in the future. However, to carry out that journey, Cam Tu understands that professional preparation will determine the achievement. friends and coaches rate Cam Tu as a player with a desire to conquer professional heights. But above all, she is a humble person, knows how to listen and is willing to learn. With a skillful and also very careful teacher like coach Vu Ngoc Loi, Cam Tu must complete all the lesson plans and achieve the right speed in training to have official competition opportunities. She herself understands that competition between athletes in the same event on the National Athletics Team or in domestic competitions is the catalyst that helps her strive to achieve the highest score.
I think the opportunity is open to everyone. I believe that if I focus and have determination, I can complete any difficult task, Cam Tu added.
Right after the end of the women's 200m final at the 33rd SEA Games, Cam Tu still maintained the most comfortable spirit and enthusiastically shared her feelings in response to questions from the press. In each sentence and word of the female player, everyone understood that Cam Tu had been waiting for a very valuable result at the 33rd SEA Games.
"I hope that in the near future, my teammates and I will compete more effectively to bring home medals for Vietnam Athletics," the young girl set a goal for herself.
Before leaving the 33rd SEA Games to return home, Cam Tu still had time to reward herself with a walk around Bangkok (Thailand), because this was the place that marked her first SEA Games medal, so she wanted to preserve memories with this city.
