The Southeast Asian (SEA) Games champion Pham Thi Binh has retired after winning the gold medal at the National Sports Games last week.

Binh finished the women's marathon event with a time of 2hr 48min in Nam Dinh, and easily won her title for the Quang Ngai Province, leaving all other rivals far behind.

The 25-year-old said that it was her last gold medal as she plans to become a coach.

"Doctors have advised me to stop running because of my health problems. I also think it is time to rest after years of running in this tough category," Binh told Viet Nam News this morning.

Binh underwent heart surgery four years ago and recovered completely.

She has represented Viet Nam in different international competitions. She was the first Vietnamese to win a gold medal at the SEA Games last year in Indonesia. Binh also dominated the national championships for years.

"There is no suitable athlete yet who can replace me in defending the title at the coming Games in Singapore. It means that Viet Nam will lose at least one gold medal in athletics," said Binh.

In Quang Ngai, Binh will take charge of the youth team. She expects to find new talent in marathon in the next four and five years.

VNS/VNN