LookAtVietnam – The nation’s pole vaulting youth Tran Thi Lan, who left for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday for a training course, will pin her hopes of taking a berth at 2012 Olympics in London.

Vu Thi Huong (257).

The young vaulter has replaced Le Thi Phuong, the incumbent Southeast Asian Games record holder, who recently retired from competitions over the past two years.

Lan, from the northern province of Yen Bai, has a personal best of clearing the bar at 3.60m. The pint-sized recruit was called up to the national team two years ago.

According to pole vault and decathlon coach Vu Duc Nguyen, Lan, 20, has a God-given talent for the sport and she expects her to do well at the SEA Games in Laos this December, assuming that all training goes according to plan.

“Lan showed her qualities during training for the Asian Athletics Federation last year, however, she needs a little more time to hone her skills with experts in the field before the Games,” Nguyen said.

“Clearing the bar at 3.60m on her debut was a great start for such a young vaulter. We expect to build on that in the future,” said the coach.

Head of athletics at the Sports Administration Duong Duc Thuy said that Viet Nam’s athletes would try to improve their techniques before the commencement of the SEA Games.

The Yen Bai Province-based youth will eye a gold medal at this year’s SEA Games before reaching for the higher target of taking a berth at the Olympics.

Last year, the Viet Nam squad was represented by 21 athletes, competing in nine disciplines: wushu, taekwondo, track and field, weightlifting, shooting, table tennis, swimming, gymnastics and badminton, of which the athletics team had two wildcards, including Nguyen Dinh Cuong and Vu Thi Huong.

The country won the only silver medal in the men’s weightlifting.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News