These three gold medals enabled Vietnam to finish at the top of the medals tally in the athletics competition, with 17 gold medals, nine silver medals and five bronze. Not only did they end Thailand’s sequence of finishing on top of the athletics rankings for the past 15 SEA Games, Vietnam led the track and field competition for the first time since the regional sports fest began in 1959.

This time Thailand finished second with 9-12-11, followed by Malaysia with 8-8-9. Tu Chinh was appearing in her first SEA Games and stunned her rivals with a series of blistering performances. “I am on cloud nine actually,” she said in an interview with The Star on Monday, August 28.

“This is my first SEA Games and I never expected to win three gold medals and break a SEA Games record. “It feels great to contribute three gold medals for my country. I am also happy that we emerged as overall champions in athletics for the first time.”

Tu Chinh said the Vietnam Athletics Association had targeted 12 gold medals coming into the meet but the athletes had exceeded this by five. The golden girl said she would now focus on the 18th Asian Games, to be held in Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 to September 2, 2018. “I am now the fastest woman in South East Asia and I will train harder to give my best at the Asian Games next year,” she said.