Wushu beauty Duong Thuy Vi reveals memories of winning 3 Asian Games medals

At the age of 30, Duong Thuy Vi surprised everyone when she brought home a valuable bronze medal for the Vietnamese sports delegation at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China in September 2023.

This medal helped the beautiful female boxer born in 1993 win medals in all 3 consecutive Asian Games, with a gold medal at the 17th Asian Games (2014), a bronze medal at the 18th Asian Games (2018) and a bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games (2023).

Duong Thuy Vi won the 17th Asian Games gold medal (2014) in the sword and spear competitions (Photo: NVCC).

Winning 7 SEA Games gold medals, one Asiad 17 gold medal and one World Games 2022 gold medal, Thuy Vi is the most successful Wushu athlete in bringing Vietnamese Wushu to the continental level. The bronze medal at Asiad 19 (the fourth and possibly the last Asiad in Thuy Vi's career) is a reward for the persistent efforts of the Hanoi female martial artist.

Won Asian Games gold medal thanks to 0.01 point more than opponent

Hello Duong Thuy Vi, it seems you have just successfully defended your master's thesis?

- Yes, I finally achieved my final goal in 2023. The original plan was to defend my master's thesis in November, but it was delayed by a month. Fortunately, everything has been successful up to this moment.

10 years ago, Duong Thuy Vi surprised everyone when she won the first gold medal at the Asian Games for the Vietnamese sports delegation in Wushu since 1990. Can you tell us about this memory?

Until now, the gold medal won at the 17th Asian Games (2014) is still the most impressive and memorable medal for me. It was truly a beautiful memory when I turned 20 years old.

Just 10 days before the tournament, I suddenly got injured although it was not too serious. I had to recover quickly in a short period of time. Before such a big tournament, every hour is more precious than gold to get me back to my best physical condition.

At that time, I was lucky that the coaching staff and fitness experts never put pressure on me. Everyone was stressed, but no one said anything so that I could have the most comfortable mentality before entering the competition. The coaching staff also did not set a target for me to win a medal, helping me tell myself that I just had to try my best.

At that Asian Games, I participated in the women's swordsmanship and women's spearmanship events. I had to compete in two events to win a medal. On the day of the competition, I had to wake up at 5:30 am to put on makeup, have breakfast, and then get on the bus to the competition venue because the distance from the hotel to the competition venue was very far. In addition, I had to stay at noon and could not go back to the hotel to rest.

But I think it's difficult for others and difficult for us, everyone is like that, not just our team. We eat boxed lunches, and rest at lunchtime. In the morning, I came in first place in the swordsmanship competition, so I think my opponents feel more pressure than me.

But everyone seemed to be fine, including me, although I always thought I had to do my best in the afternoon session. Many people on the team wanted to ask me about it, but they were afraid I would worry, so they stopped.

I tried to take a nap at noon, but couldn’t, so I just lay down and listened to music to rest. That afternoon I only came in second in the spearmanship category, behind the athlete from Macau (China).

But because in the morning competition I was 0.02 points ahead of the Macao athlete, so even though I lost 0.01 points in the afternoon competition, I still won the gold medal because I was exactly 0.01 points ahead of the Macao athlete (19.41 compared to 19.40).

Thuy Vi with the moment of celebrating the gold medal in Wushu for the Vietnamese sports delegation at the 17th Asiad (Photo: NVCC).

How did Thuy Vi feel after winning the gold medal?

- Everything was like a dream. I don't know what words to use to share all my feelings at that time. I just thought that all the hard work, sweat and tears, even blood and constant injuries, had finally paid off.

I did not let down the coaching staff and teachers, and met the expectations of my beloved family and fans.

Unforgettable memory: Being thrown into a fish tank at a hotel right after finishing the exam

After winning the gold medal at the 17th Asian Games, Thuy Vi continued to win the bronze medal at the 18th Asian Games. And at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China recently, you continued to win the bronze medal. What do you say about this medal?

- Even though it's just a bronze medal, to me it's just as valuable as a gold medal. Because I'm 30 years old, not as young and energetic as before.

Winning a medal at the Asian Games is not easy at all because it only happens once every 4 years, and not everyone has the honor to participate in this arena. Each medal must be exchanged with sweat and tears, with persistent and persistent training.

Besides the medals won at the SEA Games or Asiad, can Thuy Vi share any funny or memorable memories or incidents?

- It was at the 2008 World Youth Wushu Championships, I got injured right after I started performing. I had to crawl on the mat, but I still tried to finish the whole performance. When I stepped off the mat, everyone ran in to carry me.

My whole body was stiff, no one had time to get me ice to soak so they threw me into the huge fish tank like a fountain in the stadium lobby. I remember that year the location was in Bali (Indonesia), in a resort so there was a big fish tank in the lobby like that.

As a girl, pursuing martial arts, did Thuy Vi encounter any obstacles in pursuing her dream? Who is the person Thuy Vi wants to thank the most for achieving the achievements she has today?

- When participating in professional sports, every sport is harsh. But with Wushu, although it is not a combat sport, it is still a real martial art, so the professional requirements are very strict. In addition to the professional factor, you also have to always keep in shape, because it is a performance sport, so it requires a lot of form from the athletes.

Girls are mostly prone to obesity and do not follow a diet and exercise regimen. Not to mention that there are also sensitive issues related to puberty, and the ability to recover muscles is not as good as that of boys, which are factors that affect the training and competition process.

It is difficult to say who to thank, because there are too many people to mention. I can only thank them in my heart, always trying my best to compete so as not to let everyone down.

To achieve the achievements today, Thuy Vi must have had to sacrifice a lot?

- It's the same for everyone, not just me. The higher you go, the more personal sacrifices you have to make. I had to leave my family at a young age to train, so I didn't have much time to help my parents.

I am also a quiet person, rarely showing my emotions. As the only child in the family, and a girl, I rarely talk and confide in my parents, which is something I still feel guilty about and will try to change in the future.

Thuy Vi ranked behind host country Chinese athlete Lai Xiaoxao and Iranian athlete Kiani Zahra to win the bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games (Photo: Quy Luong).

Wushu is a sport originating from China. In your opinion, what are the major differences between Vietnamese Wushu and Chinese Wushu?

- Because it is their martial art, of course there will be differences when it is introduced to Vietnam. To tell the details would be very long, I also have difficulty saying it all.

How did Thuy Vi learn from her seniors to achieve success? In your opinion, which young athlete has the most potential in the Vietnam Wushu team at the moment?

- I was selected for the national team very early, so I learned a lot from my seniors. They helped me a lot to grow up and achieve high results. Young athletes today are also very talented, with bright faces such as Phuong Nhi, Nguyen Thi Hien...

Besides practicing, what are Thuy Vi's personal hobbies?

- Like many other girls in the capital, I love to hang out at cafes in the Old Quarter, go sightseeing, go shopping...

30 years old, but it seems Thuy Vi is still "happily single"? Can you reveal anything about your lover?

- Secrets can only be revealed at the last minute (laughs).

Thanks Thuy Vi for this conversation!

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/nguoi-dep-wushu-duong-thuy-vi-tiet-lo-ky-niem-3-lan-gianh-huy-chuong-asiad-20231227234620330.htm