Mến jumps to SEA Games glory, national record

Phan Thị Bích Hà (right) can not compete against running Elena OGoh Ling Yin of Malaysia (left) in the women’s 10km walk event. - Photo vnexpress.net

Mến made her winning jump of 14.15m in her first attempt, which was also a new national record.

The Vietnamese tried to improve on her result in the next attempts but she had produced her best already.

She received the national flag from the crowd and ran to celebrate and share her victory with fans while whispering to her mother, who was at home, about the win.

Her gold was No 23 for Việt Nam in this Games.

Defending champion Maria Natalia Londa of Indonesia dropped to second place with 13.52m. Thailand’s Parinya Chuaimaroeng came in third with 13.32m.

Phan Thị Bích Hà pocketed a silver in the women’s 10km walk which saw the winner Elena OGoh Ling Yin of Malaysia walking like running to the finish.

Hà maintained her second place most of the time during the race while Yin was in the lead from the beginning. Hà passed Yin when there were three laps to go at the Bukit Jalil Stadium. However, Yin quickly regained her position and won.

It is Hà’s new ranking at the regional tournament as two years ago she had claimed the bronze.

Previously, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Phúc of Việt Nam had dominated this event in four SEA Games in a row.

Phúc was married last year and decided to retire. She is now taking care of her new-born baby.

In fencing, Việt Nam’s first Olympic fencer Nguyễn Tiến Nhật claimed the third gold for the fencing team.

Nhật defeated Chamcharern Panthewit of Thailand 12-7 in the men’s individual speed final.

The shooting team registered their first victory after their failure in the men’s 50m pistol event on Tuesday.

Hà Minh Thành won and set a new SEA Games with a score of 586 points.

Malaysian Hasli Hasan finished second with one point less.

In karate, Nguyễn Minh Phụng and Hồ Thị Thu Hiền grabbed two golds in kumite (combat) event.

Veteran Phụng returned to the men’s 75kg category top podium after eight years since his victory in Laos in 2009.

The 24-year-old beat Thailand’s Theerapat Kangtong 8-0 in the final.

Hiền, on the other side, is a new face of the national team. She sprang a surprise when booking a place in the women’s 68kg final in her first SEA Games. Hiền, from Hà Tĩnh Province, did better in the gold medal match, defeating Knokwan Knokwong of Thailand 2-0. She burst into tears when standing on the podium for the gold.

Earlier, Trang Cẩm Lành could not win in the women’s 55kg, after her 0-3 loss in the final to Thailand’s Salni Binti.

In cycling, Nguyễn Thị Thật made her promise come true when she won the second gold medal in the women’s mass start 104km event yesterday.

She finished first with a time of 3hr 14.16min, defending her title and taking her second gold in Malaysia.

After her first gold in the 35km criterium event on Monday she promised to win another title and she did.

The athletics team brings home three gold medals with Lê Tú Chinh winning the women’s 200m, Vũ thị Lý winning the 800m women’s race and Dương Văn Thái winning the men’s 800m track.

In swimming, Nguyễn thị Ánh Viên and Phạm Quý Phước won silver in the 100m freestyle and 200m freestyle respectively.