2025 National Athletics Championship: Dong Nai athlete Sam Van Doi won in the men's 800m

Athlete Sam Van Doi (Dong Nai) outpaced his teammate, Vietnam's top middle-distance runner Luong Duc Phuoc, in the 800m event to claim victory at the 2025 National Athletics Championship.

Sam Van Doi (yellow jersey, 164) surpassed athlete Luong Duc Phuoc to finish first in the men's 800m event. Photo: Webthethao

On the morning of August 13, the finals of the 800m men's and 800m women's events of the 2025 National Athletics Championship took place in Da Nang.

In the men's 800m final this year, all the top contenders were present, including the Dong Nai duo who claimed the top two spots at last year's tournament, Luong Duc Phuoc and Sam Van Doi, along with Tran Van Dang (Hanoi), Nguyen Minh Tri (Quang Ninh), and Nguyen Van Khang (Ho Chi Minh City).

With about 600m of the race completed, Luong Duc Phuoc quickly broke away toward the finish, while his teammates Sam Van Doi and Nguyen Minh Tri also accelerated in close pursuit. The two Dong Nai athletes, Duc Phuoc and Van Doi, fiercely contested each other and made a powerful surge in the final stretch. However, the familiar outcome, Duc Phuoc's victory, did not repeat itself at this year's tournament.

A surprise unfolded when Sam Van Doi pulled off a spectacular upset at this year's National Athletics Championship, finishing first with a time of 1 minute 53.10 seconds to win the gold medal, thereby upgrading his medal from silver in 2024.

Sam Van Doi (yellow jersey running inside, 164) is small among his competitors in the men's 800m final. Photo: Webthethao

Finishing second with a time of 1 minute 53.18 seconds, Luong Duc Phuoc took the silver medal. After many years of dominating the men's 800m event, he was surpassed by his teammate Van Doi. Third place went to Nguyen Minh Tri with 1 minute 53.68 seconds.

In the women's 800m final, the top middle-distance runner Nguyen Thi Thu Ha (Ninh Binh) successfully defended her gold medal with a time of 2 minutes 12.37 seconds. Nguyen Khanh Ly (Da Nang) won silver with 2 minutes 13.41 seconds, while bronze went to Bui Thi Ngan (Ninh Binh) with 2 minutes 13.44 seconds.

With gold and silver in the men's 800m event, Dong Nai now has a total of three gold medals and two silver medals.

By: Anh Huy

Translated by: Quoc Dung - Minho