Athletics 

HÀ NỘI — SEA Games 100m hurdles champion Huỳnh Thị Mỹ Tiên has set herself a high target when she takes part in the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in South Korea.

Tiên and her teammates will compete in 17 events from May 27-31 at the Gumi Stadium.

"Tiên is in a good mood after training hard for weeks. She determines to get the result that reflects the best of what she shows during practise," said coach Nguyễn Văn Lợi.

"We all know that in the upcoming event, she will face strong rivals, but she is asked to keep her mind focused and ready to run fast."

It will be the second time that Tiên competes in the Asian championships. In 2023, she advanced to the final eight and placed sixth with a time of 13.65 seconds. It is still her best score in all continental competitions.

Last month, Tiên took part in the HCM City's Speed Cup and easily won a gold medal, clocking 13.72sec.

According to coach Lợi, the Speed Cup was an important opportunity for Vietnamese athletes, including Tiên, to warm up and feel the pace of the race after a long time of training.

Tiên's personal best is 13.38 seconds, which she recorded in the National Athletics Championships in 2024. It was close to the national record of 13.36 seconds set by the nation's best-known sprint runner Vũ Bích Hường in 1999.

Having been there two years ago, I know how fierce the competition will be. I am really focused on this Asian event. I want to at least beat my personal best and exceed my expertise in Gumi," said Tiên.

According to coach Lợi, the 100m hurdle is a tough event. It is difficult to vie for a gold medal because top runners from India, China and Japan have had much better results than the Vietnamese. But once running, Tiên must try her best.

Currently, Asian champion Jyothi Yarraji of India runs in 13.09 seconds while Asian Games champion Lin Yuwei of China in 12.74 seconds. Both of them will run in Gumi.

“Against top opponents, I have more opportunities to gain experience for myself. I will not loose my mind but only look at the finish line. I will reach the highest speed and overcome all hurdles fast,” said Tiên who will run on May 29. VNS