VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese athletes competed unsuccessfully in the first leg of Asian Grand Prix Athletics at the National Stadium in Bangkok, earning only three silver medals on Monday.

Do Thi Thao (right) – File photo

They have not recovered yet from the recent Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

SEA Games champion Do Thi Thao took second place in the women's 800m with a time of 2min 07.38sec, behind Sri Lanka's Nimali Wkla (2:07.18). India's Gomathi Mrimuth finished third with 2:07.40.

Quach Cong Lich was second in the men's 400m, timing 46.73sec – about 10 per cent slower than Sajjad of Iran.

Bangkok is very familiar place for Yuliya Rakhmanova, the 23-year-old runner from Kazakhstan. She spent months training in Bangkok, and this comfort helped her to beat Asian leaders in the women's 400m. Yuliya's 53.26 was enough to seal a win over Quach Thi Lan (53.29) of Viet Nam and Machithra Poovamma (53.51) of India.

The second leg will be held on Thursday at Thammasat University Sports Complex on the outskirts of Bangkok.

VNS