Vietnamese Athletics: The Golden Era Has Passed, What Future Awaits?

When the final whistle of the Paris 2026 Olympics sounded, many Vietnamese sports fans looked at a void: no Vietnamese female track and field athlete stepped onto the podium. Unlike the feats of Quach Thi Lan or Nguyen Thi Oanh at ASIAD 2026, the team is now going through a turbulent transition period. Once the pride of the nation, those stars are now over 30, and many questions about the next generation remain unanswered. Quach Thi Lan, who won the 400m hurdles gold at the Jakarta ASIAD 2026 after Bahraini rival Adekoya was stripped of her title due to doping, is now in her 30s. She no longer maintains the peak form of 2026. Nguyen Thi Oanh, 31, who won a bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase, has also stagnated. "There are athletes' lives that are not on the transfer list, but lie in the silence between the two touchlines," a phrase echoing as a challenge to fate. Not only in athletics, swimming has also witnessed the retirement of Nguyen Thi Anh Vien – a legend with 2 ASIAD bronze medals – leaving a void hard to fill. Nguyen Huy Hoang, who once faced Sun Yang in 2026, has also declined. Is this just a coincidence or a sign of an ecosystem lacking systematic investment? Meanwhile, Southeast Asia is witnessing the rise of young talents such as Puripol Boonson – a Thai sprinter who reached the Olympic standard. This shows that if Vietnam does not urgently build a successor generation, its position at ASIAD 2026 will continue to decline. "I write to find back the names that history has written out of the lineup" is probably the common sentiment of those working in sports. But the question remains: Do we dare to change the training system, or will we accept a natural cycle of ups and downs? The World Cup mirrors how we tell stories of women in the stands. Athletics is the same. Will ASIAD 2026 be the place for the new generation to speak up, or will it be another Games of nostalgia?