A testimonial from the gold medalist in the 5,000m race.

Breaking the "curse" of finishing second.

More than a week has passed since the tournament ended, but even now, athlete Mai Nhat Thuy (from Nghia Dan sports team) still feels the exhilaration of finishing and winning the 5,000m race. For him, it was a "historic" victory because after many years of participating in competitions and winning numerous second-place finishes, this was the first time he had won so convincingly. By overcoming this tournament, Mai Nhat Thuy also broke his own "jinx" and will strive for success in many other competitions in the future.

Mai Nhật Thùy participated in the Nghe An Provincial Sports Festival in 2022. Photo: Hoang Cuong

At this year's National Sports Games, Mai Nhat Thuy competed in two athletics events: the 1,500m and the 5,000m. In the 1,500m race, the athlete from Nghia Dan admitted that a lack of focus and experience in professional competitions led to a mistake right at the starting line: “I felt like I couldn't control the starting signal, so I started about 30m later than the other athletes. Therefore, despite accelerating and breaking away quickly, I couldn't finish successfully and had to settle for a Silver Medal.”

After her first defeat, athlete Mai Nhat Thuy said she was very afraid that the "curse" of finishing second would repeat itself. Therefore, when entering the 5,000m race, Mai Nhat Thuy was quite worried. To create a relaxed mindset, Thuy relaxed before the race and "closed her eyes" when she heard the starting signal to focus entirely on the race.

During the official competition, Mai Nhat Thuy also said that the race was not easy, as her opponent, an athlete from Hoang Mai town, consistently led the other athletes in the first 10 laps. With only two laps remaining, Thuy finally broke away and successfully crossed the finish line, bringing home the first gold medal for her district.

Mai Nhật Thùy and her teammates at the 2022 National Sports Games. Photo: Hoàng Cường

Sharing her thoughts on the race, athlete Mai Nhat Thuy said: "All the athletes participating in the 5,000-meter race are experienced and have high endurance. Therefore, when athlete Hoang Mai decided to speed up right from the start, I was worried and thought that if I continued to chase and run at the same speed as the athlete ahead, I would run out of energy in the final laps. So, I conserved my energy in the early laps, and when the leading athlete started to slow down in the last two laps, I had the opportunity to break away and successfully cross the finish line. This is my first time participating in a professional competition and bringing home a gold medal for my team, so I'm truly happy."

Joy on the running track

Mai Nhật Thùy currently works at TH Dairy Food Joint Stock Company in Nghĩa Đàn and is only an amateur athlete. Previously, Mai Nhật Thùy was a biotechnology student at Hanoi Pedagogical University. After graduating, by chance, the athlete, originally from Thanh Hóa, was hired by TH Nghệ An and has been working in Nghĩa Đàn for the past 7 years. Deep down, he considers Nghĩa Đàn his second home and feels very honored to be selected to participate in the Provincial Sports Festival.

Each route helps Mai Nhật Thùy appreciate the beauty of her homeland and country. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

CompetitionathleticsHowever, before that, Mai Nhat Thuy's first favorite sport was badminton, and she had participated in several amateur tournaments in the district. Passionate about sports, Thuy even registered to participate in the "Unlimited - Sasuke Vietnam" competition organized by Vietnam Television. Although she was eliminated early in this competition, after a period of training to participate again, Thuy found new joy in track and field. In early 2019, the badminton movement in the district began to decline, and Thuy decided to choose track and field to satisfy her passion for sports.

When he first started training, Thuy surprised his friends by conquering the 5km distance on his very first run, seemingly without any difficulty. Through a community of athletics enthusiasts, Thuy began training systematically and scientifically, and his love for the sport grew. Thuy says that he trains for about an hour each morning or afternoon after work, mainly running around Nghia Dan town. On weekends and long holidays, Thuy allows himself more freedom, dedicating almost a whole day to athletics.

Speaking about this hobby, Mai Nhat Thuy added: "I usually run long distances of 60-70 km. My route usually starts from the town and then goes up to Nghia Lac, Nghia Lam, Nghia Khanh, and then to Co Do Farm. For me, each long run is an opportunity to explore the land where I live and I find it very interesting. I see that my homeland is truly beautiful."

After more than three years pursuing athletics, Mai Nhat Thuy has gradually made his mark in his community and participated in many different races. Of all the competitions Thuy has participated in, he remembers most vividly the race organized by Runner Vinh at the end of 2019, a 21km race (7 laps around the lake). At that time, Thuy was a "newcomer" and a completely unknown name, so in the first few laps, he went completely unnoticed. However, in the final laps, Thuy broke away and finished in second place, much to the surprise of many.

Later, Thuy participated in many other competitions in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Vung Tau, Quang Binh, etc., and made her mark with various awards. Mai Nhat Thuy said, "What attracts people to athletics competitions is not the prizes but the spread of these competitions. By participating in these competitions, I make many new friends, improve my health, maintain my passion, and have interesting experiences. More importantly, I get to explore the country and love my homeland even more."

A tournament that Mai Nhật Thùy participated in in Ninh Bình. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

With a passion for athletics, Mai Nhat Thuy has also started establishing a community of running enthusiasts in Nghia Dan and Thai Hoa town. The increasing number of people participating in training and supporting the movement motivates him to connect with and develop this sport locally. He also shared: "Running seems to have completely changed me, from my perspective and thinking process to my reaction to life's difficulties. Therefore, I want to spread this positive spirit to everyone..."

My Ha