Vietnam athletics secures silver in high jump at 2025 Asian youth athletics championships

Riyadh, April 18, 2025 – Vietnam’s athletics team celebrated a podium finish at the 2025 Asian Youth Athletics Championships (U18) in Saudi Arabia, thanks to Mai Ngoc Anh’s silver medal in the women’s high jump on April 17. The 17-year-old was one of three Vietnamese athletes competing, alongside Le Thi Thao and Luong Thi Khan, in a field featuring Asia’s top young talents.

In the women’s high jump, Mai Ngoc Anh faced eight rivals from China, India, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Uzbekistan. She cleared 1.55m effortlessly on her first attempt, then sailed over 1.60m and 1.65m with ease. To secure a medal, Ngoc Anh targeted 1.69m—a height only she and China’s Dong Jialing conquered among the five who attempted it. Ngoc Anh cleared it once, but at 1.73m, she faltered, while Dong succeeded, claiming gold with 1.73m. Ngoc Anh’s 1.69m earned her silver, Vietnam’s lone medal, marking a breakthrough akin to Hanoi Police FC’s V.League grit.

Ngoc Anh’s performance builds on her 2024 national youth title, where she cleared 1.67m, and signals her potential for SEA Games 33. Her technique, honed at The Cong Viettel’s training hub, outshone veterans like Kuwait’s Alaa Al Jamal, who exited at 1.65m. Vietnam’s other athletes fell short of the podium. In the women’s 3,000m, Luong Thi Khan clocked 10:27.43, finishing fourth behind Uzbekistan’s Silchenkova, who won gold with 9:45.17. Le Thi Thao placed sixth in the women’s 400m hurdles with 1:06.60, trailing UAE’s Kareem, who took gold in 59.55.

The championships, hosted at King Saud University Stadium, drew over 400 athletes from 25 nations, with China and India dominating. Vietnam’s trio, selected after topping Song Lam Nghe An’s regional qualifiers, showed promise despite limited numbers. Ngoc Anh’s silver—Vietnam’s first at this event since 2023—lifts hopes for Hoang Anh Gia Lai-backed youth programs. The team now eyes the 2025 Asian Junior Championships in June, aiming to challenge Uzbekistan’s middle-distance strength and build on Ngoc Anh’s leap toward regional stardom.