Long-distance runner Nguyen Van Lai won a gold medal in the men's 5,000m event this morning.— Photo bongdaplus

HA NOI (VNS) —Long-distance runner Nguyen Van Lai won a gold medal in the men's 5,000m event this morning, on the seventh day of competition at the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.

Lai maintained a close distance with his opponents for much of the race, before speeding up in the final lap to cross the finish line with a time of 14:19.35. The silver medal went to a Thai runner and the bronze medal belonged to an Indonesian.

Lai's gold medal, the first in this category, is the second one in the track and field event, and Viet Nam's 44th gold medal, helping to consolidate the country's second place in the medal table. —VNS