Truong Thanh Hang
Encyclopedia
Truong Thanh Hang (Vietnamese
: Trương Thanh Hằng; born 1 May 1986 in Ho Chi Minh City
) is a Vietnam
ese track and field
athlete who specialises in middle-distance running events. She is the Vietnamese record
holder over both 800 metres
and 1500 metres
.
She is one of Asia's foremost middle-distance runners, having been Asian champion over 800 m both indoors and outdoors. She was a double silver medal
list for Vietnam at the 2010 Asian Games
. She has also been highly successful at the Southeast Asian Games
, where she has won gold medal
s on five occasions from 2005 to 2009.
, Thanh Hang won a national title over 1500 metres
in 2004 and began to represent her country internationally the following year, beginning with a sixth place finish at the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships. She won the 1500 m gold medal
at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games
, breaking the Games record and Vietnamese national record
, and she also claimed the bronze medal
in the women's 800 metres
. Her next major competition was the 2006 Asian Games
and she was knocked out in the qualifying rounds of the 800 m, but took fourth in her 1500 m speciality, improving her national mark to 4:17.66 minutes in the process.
At the 2007 Asian Athletics Championships Thanh Hang won the 800 m gold but was third in the 1500 m, behind Sinimole Paulose and Sara Bekheet. Further success came at the regional 2007 Southeast Asian Games
, as she completed an 800/1500 m double with national record runs of 2:02.39 and 4:11.60 minutes. She attended no major events in 2008 but won a series of medals in late 2009. She won two bronze medals at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships
and gained an 800 m silver
and 1500 m bronze at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
, setting national indoor records at both distances. She retained her titles at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games
the following month, while her male compatriot Nguyen Dinh Cuong made it a middle-distance sweep for Vietnam.
She began her 2010 season at the 2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
in Tehran
and was a comfortable winner of the 800 m. The 2010 Asian Games
saw her career reach new heights as she knocked nearly five seconds off her 1500 m best to take the silver in a time of 4:09.58 minutes, beaten only by Maryam Yusuf Jamal
the reigning world champion. Similar improvements came in the 800 m, where her new national record mark of 2:00.91 minutes brought another silver medal. She was one of only three athletics medallists for Vietnam at the 2010 Asian Games
, the others being Vu Van Huyen and Vu Thi Huong.
At age of 25, Truong Thanh Hang has 5 gold medals from SEA Games, with the addition of three golds from the Asian championships. On that basis, the 2011 Southeast Asia Games was probably to serve only as a “cool down” to wrap up her busy season, before starting the build-up for the London Olympics. Thanh Hang delivered two gold medals as expected in both 800m and 1500m, clocking 2:02.65 and 4:15.75 respectively. The good times achieved following a closer battle from teammate Do Thi Thao who finished in second in both 800m (2:05.62) and 1500m (4:18.94). At the recent Asian championships she claimed the gold medal at 800m with 2:01.41, winning the silver in the 1500m (4:18.40).
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
: Trương Thanh Hằng; born 1 May 1986 in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
) is a Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who specialises in middle-distance running events. She is the Vietnamese record
Vietnamese records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Vietnam maintained by the Vietnam Athletics Federation .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:# = not officially ratified-External links:*...
holder over both 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
and 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
.
She is one of Asia's foremost middle-distance runners, having been Asian champion over 800 m both indoors and outdoors. She was a double silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
list for Vietnam at the 2010 Asian Games
2010 Asian Games
The 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990...
. She has also been highly successful at the Southeast Asian Games
Southeast Asian Games
The Southeast Asian Games , is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia...
, where she has won gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
s on five occasions from 2005 to 2009.
Career
Born in Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, Thanh Hang won a national title over 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
in 2004 and began to represent her country internationally the following year, beginning with a sixth place finish at the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships. She won the 1500 m gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games
Athletics at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games
The athletics events at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games were held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila, Philippines. The Marathon event was run from the Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City, Philippines on December 4, 2005....
, breaking the Games record and Vietnamese national record
Vietnamese records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Vietnam maintained by the Vietnam Athletics Federation .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:# = not officially ratified-External links:*...
, and she also claimed the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the women's 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
. Her next major competition was the 2006 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2006 Asian Games
An Athletics competition was contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 7 to December 12. Twenty-three events were contested for the men while 22 were on the slate for the women. Only the 3000 Meter Steeplechase was not contested for by the women...
and she was knocked out in the qualifying rounds of the 800 m, but took fourth in her 1500 m speciality, improving her national mark to 4:17.66 minutes in the process.
At the 2007 Asian Athletics Championships Thanh Hang won the 800 m gold but was third in the 1500 m, behind Sinimole Paulose and Sara Bekheet. Further success came at the regional 2007 Southeast Asian Games
Athletics at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games
The athletics events at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games were held at the Main Stadium in His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5th December 2007 Sports Complex, Nakhon Ratchasima from December 7 to December 11.-Men:-Women's:-Medal table:...
, as she completed an 800/1500 m double with national record runs of 2:02.39 and 4:11.60 minutes. She attended no major events in 2008 but won a series of medals in late 2009. She won two bronze medals at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships
2009 Asian Athletics Championships
The 18th Asian Athletics Championships were held in Guangzhou, China in 2009.- Track :- Field :- Track :- Field :- Medal table :-References:*. IAAF . Retrieved on 2011-07-09.*. IAAF . Retrieved on 2011-07-09....
and gained an 800 m silver
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
and 1500 m bronze at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games was held in My Dinh Indoor Athletics Gymnasium, Hanoi, Vietnam from 31 October to 2 November 2009....
, setting national indoor records at both distances. She retained her titles at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games
Athletics at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games
At the 2009 Southeast Asian Games, the athletics events will be held at the Laos National Stadium in Vientiane, Laos from 13 December to 17 December...
the following month, while her male compatriot Nguyen Dinh Cuong made it a middle-distance sweep for Vietnam.
She began her 2010 season at the 2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
The 2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, also known as the IV Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, was an international indoor athletics event took place in Tehran, Iran, between 24 and 26 February. This was the second edition to be hosted in the country as the first championships was also...
in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
and was a comfortable winner of the 800 m. The 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, China from 21 to 27 November 2010. A total of 47 events were contested, 24 by men and 23 by women - matching the Olympic athletics programme...
saw her career reach new heights as she knocked nearly five seconds off her 1500 m best to take the silver in a time of 4:09.58 minutes, beaten only by Maryam Yusuf Jamal
Maryam Yusuf Jamal
Maryam Yusuf Jamal is a Bahraini middle distance runner.Born in Ethiopia, 2005 was her first full season. She gained the national record and ran the fastest 3000 m of 2005 with a time of 8:28.87 at a race in Oslo...
the reigning world champion. Similar improvements came in the 800 m, where her new national record mark of 2:00.91 minutes brought another silver medal. She was one of only three athletics medallists for Vietnam at the 2010 Asian Games
Vietnam at the 2010 Asian Games
Vietnam is participating in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou on 12 November – 27 November 2010.-Medal Table:- Medalists :- Aquatics – Diving:- Aquatics – Swimming:- Athletics:- Badminton:- Canoeing:- Cue Sports:...
, the others being Vu Van Huyen and Vu Thi Huong.
At age of 25, Truong Thanh Hang has 5 gold medals from SEA Games, with the addition of three golds from the Asian championships. On that basis, the 2011 Southeast Asia Games was probably to serve only as a “cool down” to wrap up her busy season, before starting the build-up for the London Olympics. Thanh Hang delivered two gold medals as expected in both 800m and 1500m, clocking 2:02.65 and 4:15.75 respectively. The good times achieved following a closer battle from teammate Do Thi Thao who finished in second in both 800m (2:05.62) and 1500m (4:18.94). At the recent Asian championships she claimed the gold medal at 800m with 2:01.41, winning the silver in the 1500m (4:18.40).