With an impressive start and outstanding achievements over the past 2 years, triathlon is gradually showing its potential, and promises to become a strong sport of Da Nang in the near future.

Members of the Da Nang Triathlon team practicing at the city's Swimming and Diving Club in preparation for the Aqua Warriors Ha Long Bay 2024 scheduled to take place at the end of September. Photo: P.N

Triathlon is a race that combines three sports: swimming, cycling and running in consecutive order. There is no recovery break between the different events until finished. Triathlon is quite familiar at sports festivals, invested in and developed by many countries.

In Viet Nam, this kind of sports has just developed in some localities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi and in the army. However, it has developed quite rapidly in three recent years.

In 2022, Da Nang’s Triathlon team was established to compete in the Aquathlon event, an endurance sport which combines swimming and running, at the National Sports Festival. The team won a gold medal for the first time of participation. This achievement is an important stepping stone for the city's athletes to continue participating and conquering new achievements in the national arena.

Coach Hoang Dinh Long of the Da Nang Triathlon team said that most of the team members were talented swimmers. This is the basis for them to quickly catch up and accumulate experience in training and competition. After 2 years of establishment, the team has achieved good results, contributing to the overall success of Da Nang sports.

The team won a bronze medal at the SEA Games 32; two silver and two bronze medals at the national championship in 2023; and a gold medal at the national youth championship and two gold, a silver and a bronze medals at the national championship in 2024.

Hoang Van Hai is one of the promising athletes of the Da Nang Triathlon team. Hai was "assigned" to the team while practicing swimming. With his great efforts and determination in training and competing, he has achieved many successes with a gold medal at the 2022 National Sports Festival in the Aquathlon event, a bronze medal at the 2023 SEA Games, and a silver medal at the 2023 National Championship.

Since early 2024, Hai has taken a gold medal in the relay category, breaking the national championship record; won a gold medal in the individual category at the national championship; and come in second place in the 10km category at the 2024 open-water swimming competition called the Arena Oceanman Cam Ranh Vietnam.

Currently, Hai is training hard, aiming for a gold medal at the 2024 Aqua Warriors Ha Long Bay 2024 slated to take place in Quang Ninh Province at the end of September.

Along with Hoang Van Hai, Le Thi Nhu Quynh is also a great hope for the Da Nang Triathlon team at the upcoming 2024 Aqua Warriors Ha Long Bay.

Selected for the team in 2023, Quynh left her mark by winning a silver medal and a bronze medal at the national championship in the same year. She won 1 gold medal and 1 silver medal at the national championship in 2024. Notably, the female athlete has just won the 10km swimming event at the Arena Oceanman Cam Ranh Viet Nam in 2024.

“These results are the great motivation for me to continue to strive and achieve good results in the future. I target to grab a gold medal at the Aqua Warriors Ha Long Bay 2024, and secure my position in top 2 finishers at the national championship to earn a ticket to the SEA Games 33” Quynh shared.

According to Coach Hoang Dinh Long, members of the Da Nang Triathlon team are aged between 17 and 21. This is an age group with a lot of potential for development and exploring their own limits.

Aside from the national club championships and national championships in the competition system of the Viet Nam Triathlon Federation, these team members are given the opportunity to participate in large-scale grassroots tournaments so as to improve their professional skills.

Currently, the team members are practicing 2 sessions/day in preparation for the forthcoming Aqua Warriors Ha Long Bay 2024. After running along roads, they practice swimming at the city’s Swimming and Diving Club.

"The team sets a goal to improve their achievements at national championships in the coming time, and at the same time, prepare the best force for the National Sports Festival in 2026" said Mr. Long.

Reporting by PHI NONG - Translating by M.DUNG