LookAtVietnam – Vu Van Huyen defended his title and set a new Southeast Asian Games record in the men’s decathlon event yesterday in Vientiane.

The 26-year-old met no challenge from his rivals and has remained at the top of the 10 athletics events from the opening of the Games.

In Korat two years ago the athlete from Hai Duong Province pocketed 7,457 points, destrying the 7,318 point record made by Thai athlete David Yimsumruay 10 years previously.

The silver medal went to Boonkete Chalon of Thailand while Huyen’s teammate Nguyen Van Hue city took the bronze.

SEA Games defending champions Truong Thanh Hang and Nguyen Dinh Cuong took golds in the women’s and men’s 800m events yesterday.

Hang’s triumph was said a certainty; the only issue was whether she would set another record.

The HCM City-born athlete finished in 2min 02.74sec for the title, some 0.35sec more than her own record of 2:02.39 that she set two years ago in Nakhon Ratchasima.

As Viet Nam’s golden hope, Hang was said to have no worthy rivals prior to the games as the Asian Grandprix champion is a cut above her regional opponents. She ran from the front from the starter’s gun and opened a difficult-to-narrow gap with the other runners. Runner-up, Ganthi Manthi of Malaysia (2:07.99), trailed at least 2m behind Hang at the finish line.

Another Vietnamese, Do Thi Thao (2:12.26) took the bronze medal.

On the men’s side, Cuong added the second gold for Viet Nam with his victory, the third of the athletics team, nearly an hour later.

Cuong who had left officials worried because of his injury and unstable performances in recent competitions successfully defend his title with a time of 1:50.65.

Unlike Hang, Cuong joined the pack, to make a sprint-finish over the last 50m to pass Malaysian Mohd Jironi Riduab who had led for most of the race.

The two Vietnamese champions will continue looking to add to their medal tallies in the next few days when they compete in the 1,500m events.

In other athletic events, Nguyen Van Ly pocketed a bronze in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase; the women’s 4×400m relay team finished third; and Duong Thi Viet Anh who made her debut at the SEA Games won a bronze in the women’s high jump.

Despite the clutch of golds, Viet Nam still trail behind Thailand in the table. The team has grabbed 32 gold, 31 silver and 38 bronze medals. Thailand, the current SEA Games champions have taken 42 golds, 49 silvers and 48 bronzes, with Singapore firmly placed in third, with 25 gold, 13 silver and 24 bronze medals.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News