Nguyen Thi Oanh achieves personal best of 4'12"28 in the women's 1500m event at the 2023 World Athletics Championships

The 2023 World Athletics Championships officially commenced on August 19. Vietnamese representative Nguyen Thi Oanh took part in the women's 1500m event and had to compete in the qualifying round. Despite encountering rainy weather before the start, the competitions proceeded smoothly without major disruptions during the official events.

The women's 1500m event is divided into four qualifying rounds, each comprising 14 athletes. Only the best six performers from each round will secure a place in the final competition.

Taking part in the third heat of the event's qualifying round, Nguyen Thi Oanh faced off against competitors from Ethiopia, the US, Switzerland, Japan, Kenya, Italy, Australia, Spain, Czech, Poland, Canada, England, and Ireland. Right from the starting line, Oanh found herself trailing at the back of the racing pack, yet she persevered and maintained pace with the frontrunners.

As the race approached its final lap, Nguyen Thi Oanh summoned all her efforts to accelerate toward the finish line. In the final tally, she secured the 13th position with a time of 4'12"28. While her achievement was unable to propel her into the tournament's final, Oanh achieved a noteworthy outcome this time, setting a new personal best in her specialized discipline.

Earlier, Oanh competed in the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, clocking a time of 4'18"84 and getting the 5th position overall. In addition, at the 32nd SEA Games, Nguyen Thi Oanh clinched the gold medal in the women's 1500m event with a time of 4'16"85.

Nguyen Thi Oanh's most impressive performance in the women's 1500m event was 4'14"67, achieved back in 2018, which currently stands as the record of the National Sports Festival.

During the 2018 Asian Games (ASIAD 18), Nguyen Thi Oanh competed in the women's 1500m event and achieved a time of 4'15"59, securing a fourth-place finish.

The time of 4'12"28 represents a personal feat for Nguyen Thi Oanh, surpassing the previous record of 4'12"56 held by Indian athlete P.U. Chitra, who earned a bronze medal in the women's 1500m event at the 18th Asian Games in 2018. In the larger context of the 2023 World Athletics Championships for the women's 1500m event, Nguyen Thi Oanh claimed the 51st position.

The coaching team of the Vietnamese athletics squad currently in Hungary has shared that this year's World Athletics Championships will take place from August 19 to 27. The comprehensive event has brought together 2,187 athletes, with 1,106 men and 1,081 women athletes, representing 202 countries and territories worldwide, competing across 49 events for medals, including 43 track and field and six road events. Notably, the organizing committee is offering a reward of $100,000 for each shattered world record.

In terms of medal prizes, the figures stand at $70,000 for gold, $35,000 for silver, and $22,000 for bronze. Rewards will even extend to the 8th-place finishers (finalists). Approximately 650 doping tests are set to be conducted across diverse events using random selection. Furthermore, the championship's results will also be taken into account to determine qualifications for the 2024 Paris Olympics in France.

Source: SGGP