Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc of Viet Nam seen crying on podium after she failed to defend her SEA Games 20km walk title. Phuc was awarded her title after winner Saw Nar Lar Nwe was tested positive for banned drugs. – File Photo

HA NOI (VNS) – Vietnamese racewalker Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc has been awarded a gold medal of the 27th Southeast Asian Games, four months after the regional biennial meet ended.

The ASEAN Sports Federation has announced the results of SEA Games' doping cases, including of Saw Nar Lar Nwe of the SEA Games host Myanmar, who won the women's 20km walk last December.

Nwe tested positive for a banned drug and her result would be cancelled.

Phuc, the silver medallist, will now receive the gold medal.

Earlier, Phuc, the defending champion and the Asian silver medallist, had failed to defend her title as Nwe walked much of the distance as if she was running, especially the last few metres to the finish. None of the judges warned her, while Viet Nam's complaint was ignored.

Phuc's timing of 1:37.08 was a new SEA Games record but was not enough to help her win. Nwe won with a timing of 1:35.03.

The title will bring the Da Nang-based athlete a bonus of VND45 million, or US$2,100, from the Government as per the regulation. –VNS