This is the first time Le Tu Chinh has returned after a 2-year absence. Although she only competed with the goal of checking her performance, Tu Chinh still left her mark with a record of 11 seconds 98 in the women's 100 m qualifying round.
Returning to the track after a long period of treatment and recovery, Tu Chinh was satisfied with the results achieved. She shared: "I do not focus on achievements in this comeback. Running back on the pitch was a pleasure, and 11.98 seconds was a positive for me to continue to strive."
Previously, from January 2024, Tu Chinh said goodbye to the Ho Chi Minh City unit and was getting closer to wearing the Binh Duong shirt. However, the deal was unsuccessful, and she chose to join a new unit, Ca Mau. According to the regulations of the Vietnam Athletics Federation, athletes who transfer units will not be allowed to compete officially for 2 years if they still have a contract with the old place. Therefore, Tu Chinh's participation in this Speed Cup is only for professional testing and will not be considered for awarding medals.
In the first qualifying round of the women's 100m event, Tu Chinh competed with many top athletes such as Tran Thi Nhi Yen (Long An), Hoang Du Y (Army) and Le Thi Cam Tu (HCMC). As a result, she finished 3rd in the race and ranked 5th overall in the qualifying round.
Le Tu Chinh was born in 1997 and is one of the most prominent faces of Vietnam's athletics in short-distance events. She won 3 gold medals at the 2017 SEA Games and 1 gold medal at the 2019 SEA Games. However, a persistent injury forced her to temporarily stay away from the track and undergo surgery to recover.
"The past two years have given me the opportunity to look back, adjust my competitive mentality and improve my physical strength. I am grateful to Ca Mau for trusting me and not putting pressure on me to achieve results, helping me find my training inspiration again," Tu Chinh added.
This year's Thong Nhat Speed Cup brings together nearly 500 athletes from 38 provinces, cities and units across the country. The tournament took place on April 16 and 17 at District 8 Stadium. In addition to Tu Chinh's return, the tournament also recorded many other notable results.
In the women's 400 m event, veteran athlete Quach Thi Lan won the gold medal with a time of 53 seconds 85. Tran Thi Nhi Yen won the silver medal (54 seconds 74) and the bronze medal went to Phan Vo Nhu Y (Khanh Hoa, 55 seconds 04). Meanwhile, the men's 400 m event witnessed the victory of Ta Ngoc Tuong (Phu Tho) with 46 seconds 75, surpassing 2 representatives of Ha Tinh, Tran Dinh Son (46 seconds 96) and Le Ngoc Phuc (47 seconds 44).
