In 2024, athlete Trinh Thu Vinh made her mark with a 4th place finish in the women's 10m air pistol event and a 7th place finish in the women's 25m sport pistol event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Hello Thu Vinh! You have participated in many tournaments in 2024, so in your opinion, what is your biggest mark?
- I participated in many tournaments last year. There were many things that made me satisfied but there were still some performances that were not good but maybe because I had high expectations for myself. When competing, I did not always achieve good results, my performance sometimes went up and sometimes down.
The tournament that I am most satisfied with is the 2024 Paris Olympics. I prepared very carefully and tried very hard from the time I got the ticket to the competition. Although I competed at the right time, it seemed that I lacked a bit of luck and technique so I could not touch the medal. I feel quite regretful. However, looking back on the long journey, I have nothing to regret because I tried my best.
As one of the athletes with the best achievements of Vietnamese sports at the Olympics, before competing, did you think you would achieve such a high ranking?
- Of course! When competing, if you do not set a goal for achievement but only hope to compete, this will limit your efforts, willpower, and determination. Therefore, in any competition, I always aim to win a medal. However, during the competition process, there will be many factors that impact and influence the achievement.
After the tournament, I will sit back and review what I have done and what I have not done, and whether I competed to my full potential. In the women's 25m pistol event, my score was even higher than when I practiced. I think I did well but lacked a bit of technique and luck to reach the medal.
Since 2022, Vietnamese sports have not had a major breakthrough in achievements. When participating in the 2024 Olympics, what kind of pressure do you face?
- Each tournament, each competition has different pressures. In terms of results, it is true that I did not achieve the results as expected and the target set by the coaching staff. But in the Olympic arena, the athletes competing are mostly the best representatives of that country. 40 people compete in one event and there are only 3 medals.
With the ranking I achieved, it is a great effort of myself. However, my teammates and I still need guidance, comments, and criticism to have more spirit and motivation to strive in the upcoming tournaments.
Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned was knowing my own achievements, knowing where I stand, how hard I need to try to be equal to my friends and how to surpass everyone's achievements.
When competing, Thu Vinh is a calm and somewhat cold person. So what is Thu Vinh like in real life?
- Those are two opposite versions of me. When competing, athletes always have to keep a cool head, be calm, and not care about external factors. But after a day of training and competing, if you still keep that state, it will not be good.
“If a rubber band is stretched too far, it will break.” I also don’t like a quiet atmosphere. So, when I’m in the team, I often joke and tease everyone. My teammates even say I’m crazy. But I often say, “It’s better to be unusual and do extraordinary things than to be ordinary and become ordinary.”
As Vinh shared, you are an active, cheerful person... but the life of an athlete sometimes revolves around eating, sleeping, training and competing. Do you find it boring?
- Yes! For athletes, especially shooters, we always have to think. There were times when I found myself stressed, most recently after returning from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
I had insomnia for a long time, could not sleep well, always thought and acted unconsciously. I am a person who loves to sleep, if my mind is comfortable, I can sleep 8-12 hours, which is normal. But during that time, I stayed awake many nights and felt my body change.
I tried very hard to balance and overcome this. People saw me smiling on the outside but on the inside, I felt very uncomfortable and suffocated.
Luckily, I have my family by my side. My parents are very caring and perceptive and discovered it early. My family created the best conditions for me to be comfortable and focus on training and competing. It took me about 2 months to stabilize everything, from my thoughts, emotions to my body.
Looking back on your journey, what was the motivation that helped you get through that time?
- If I hadn't gotten through that stage, my situation would have been worse. Luckily, I recognized my situation and changed. I still have many goals ahead and I don't allow myself to fall. Every night, I watch videos about people in more difficult situations than mine to lift my spirits.
Looking back, I was able to overcome everything. I also want to thank my parents and family for always being there to support, encourage and cheer me on.
As Vinh just mentioned, parents are the ones who care and are observant enough to detect unusual signs when you are stressed. Of course, whether at home or when competing away from home, parents always have many different ways to grasp your psychology?
- My parents love me very much, encourage me and stand by me throughout my career. Thanks to them, I have overcome all challenges. My family is the biggest source of motivation for me to try my best every day.
My family is not well off, so I don’t want my parents to suffer anymore. I’m grown up, don’t have a family yet, and have no intention of getting married soon. I hope that before I get married, I can help my parents suffer less. Only then will I feel secure in building my own happiness.
Often having to compete away from home, is Tet a rare occasion in the year when you can be with your parents and family? What do you wish for during this transitional moment?
- In previous years, there were times when I had to celebrate Tet away from home due to competing far away. Last year, I had more time to go home to relax mentally.
This year, I probably won't have too long of a break because I have to compete in February. During the last days of the year, I will cook banh chung with my mother, celebrate New Year's Eve with my family, and prepare myself mentally for a better year in 2025.
In 2025, Vietnamese sports have many new tasks, including the goal of aiming for the 33rd SEA Games. What is your plan?
- I have thought about the SEA Games next year, but the goals and plans still have to wait for coordination and discussion from the coaching staff. My goal is to shoot for selection with good results to get a place to attend the SEA Games. Besides, in every tournament, I hope to improve to create a better version of Trinh Thu Vinh in 2025.
Thanks Thu Vinh!
(Posted on the special edition of Labor Weekend Spring At Ty)
