Viet Nam hopes to win first ASIAD track and field medal

HA NOI— Vietnamese track and field athletes hope to bring home their first Asian Games (ASIAD) medal.

Southeast Asian sprint queen Vu Thi Huong will run in the women's 100m and 200m events.

"Huong won a silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championship, so we hope she will finish in the top three at the ASIAD," said coach Nguyen Dinh Minh. "The competition at the ASIAD will be much stronger than other Asian tournaments."

Huong's biggest rival is Chisato Fukushima from Japan, who holds the Asian record in the 100m event.

German expert Uwe Freimuth believes that Huong has a chance of winning despite finishing fourth at the Asian Grand Prix four months ago.

Freimuth is helping train the national team in preparation for the ASIAD.

The country has also placed its hope with Truong Thanh Hang who will compete in the women's 800m and 1,500m events.

Hang has pocketed medals at several Grand Prix competitions and Asian tournaments.

Vietnamese track and field athletes will also compete in the women's 4x100m, 400m hurdle and 4x400m relay and the men's 800m, 1,500m, long jump, triple jump and decathlon events.

In Guangzhou, the track and field events kick off on November 21 and wrap up six days later at Aoti Stadium. Vietnamese athletes will leave for the tournament five days earlier to familiarise themselves with the climate and altitude. — VNS

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