Bui Thi Thu Thao won the Asian long jump gold medal

On July 6, athlete Bui Thi Thu Thao excelled over two Indian opponents to win the long jump gold medal with a score of 6m54 at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships taking place in India.

Long jumper Bui Thi Thu Thao is aiming for the gold medal at the 29th SEA Games. Photo: Nam Khanh

The 2017 Asian Athletics Championships will take place from July 6 to 9 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha (India). The Vietnamese athletics team will be led by coach Nguyen Manh Hieu and athletes Quach Thi Lan, Quach Cong Lich, Nguyen Thi Huyen, Bui Thi Thu, Hoang Thi Ngoc, and Nguyen Thi Hang. In addition to the individual events, four female athletes Lan, Huyen, Ngoc, and Hang will participate in the 4x400m relay.

On the first day of competition, Thu Thao won the gold medal for the Vietnamese athletics team, although her performance was not as good as Thao's. The athletes participating in this year's Asian tournament in the long jump category are also not considered to be the strongest athletes. Previously, last May, Thu Thao won 2 gold medals at the Asian Grand Prix in China with the respective results of 6.41m and 6.58m.

To have a chance to approach the 29th SEA Games gold medal, Thu Thao must improve her performance. At the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore, Thu Thao won silver with a score of 6.65m. Athlete Maria Natalia Londa (Indonesia) won gold with a score of 6.70m.

The Asian Athletics Championships is the last important international tournament for Vietnamese athletics before attending the 29th SEA Games in Malaysia.

According to TTO