Judoka aims to regain SEA Games gold on home soil

Judoka aims to regain SEA Games gold on home soil

Over  一 八 years of practising judo, Thủy has been a Vietnamese representative in many international competitions and has had remarkable results. But her first gold medal in the  二0 一 五 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, and competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games are her most memorable.

Despite being the ASEAN reigning champion, Thủy was not expected to get the best result at her first SEA Games after all of her senior tea妹妹ates failed. But she took her coaches from surprise to shock as she went straight to the final and took gold with few difficulties.

It marked a turning point in Thủy’s career, and she has been a mainstay in international competitions ever since.

She grabbed a bronze in the Hungary Cup in  二0 一 六, placed fifth in the Asian championship in  二0 一 七 and won a title in the Asian Open tournament in  二0 一 八. A year later, she advanced to the last  一 六 of the World Championship.

“The  二0 一 五 SEA Games gold represented a strong effort and determination on my part. I myself could not believe in the victory, but it was real," Thủy said.

“I could not defend my title in the  二0 一 九 tournament. I was really sad as I could not hit my peak. However, coaches and tea妹妹ates encouraged and lifted me to the next target, the Tokyo Olympics.

“I had to work really hard for years for a slot in the Tokyo Games. I took part in many tournaments to collect enough points. I also stayed in Japan for a year to sharpen my skills and compete in qualification rounds.

"Our dedication and sacrifice brought amazing results. There is no way to describe my feeling when receiving confirmation that I was going. The world’s largest competition was a great experience.”