Vietnam will send 18 athletes to Asia’s biggest sport tournament, with expectations high for long jumper Bùi Thị Thu Thảo and runner Quách Thị Lan.

At the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last year, Vietnam won 17 golds to top the region.

At the 17th Asiad held in Incheon, South Korea in 2014, Vietnam earned two silvers thanks to Thảo and Lan.

Thảo shocked everyone with an excellent jump of 6.44m to bag a silver medal. She was defeated by her Indonesian rival Maria Londa, who recorded a jump of 6.55m.

Thảo’s best result in the women’s long jump is 6.68m, which she achieved in the SEA Games last year. Thảo’s jump was better than the result that won the ASIAD 2014 by 13cm.

In the run up to Indonesia’s event, Thảo has made strides in recent tournaments.

At the 2018 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran, Iran in February, Thảo brought home a gold medal with 6.2m. At the Chinese Taipei Athletics Open in May, she also took gold with 6.34m. In the HCM City International Athletics Open in July, she won with 6.55m.

“After the HCM City event, Thảo’s form is stable and she is ready to take part in the Asian event,” said Thảo’s coach, Nguyễn Mạnh Hiếu.

“Following the HCM City event, my weak points have been repaired. I am in a good mood and expect to gain a better result in Indonesia,” said Thảo.

According to Thảo, her husband’s love is also a driving force for her to compete and she wants to take gold in Indonesia as a gift for her husband, Lê Văn Tiến.

After the Asian Games, Thảo plans to retire from competition to become a mother.

Meanwhile, runner Lan will compete in 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles, 4 x 400m relay of the women’s team and 4 x 400m of the mixed team. Her best achievement was the runner-up in the Asiad women’s 400m after clocking a time of 52.06 seconds.

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