Bhutan will participate in a marathon for the first time in the Olympics. Kinzang Lhamo will represent the country in the women’s marathon at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Kinzang and her coach will leave for Paris, France tomorrow. The Summer Olympics will open on Friday on the Seine River in France, marking the first Olympic Games opening ceremony to be held outside a stadium.
26-year-old Kinzang Lhamo from Trashigang has been training for about six months at the Thimphu Athletics Ground for the Olympics.
Kinzang serves in the Royal Bhutan Army in Lungtenphu. She has been selected for the Olympics based on her past performances. She won the Bhutan International Marathon in 2023 and 2024.
Similarly, she won the Bhutan Coronation Marathon in 2022 and came in second last year.
In the Laya Run, she took first place last year and was the first runner-up in 2022. Additionally, she finished second in the Snowman Race in 2022.
“I never took part in running during my school days. I was recruited as a soldier in 2020. I took part in the company competitions and my teacher told me that I could run a marathon, and they selected me. Since then, I became interested in running.”
She added that she became a runner thanks to the support of the Royal Bhutan Army.
“Before I came here, I used to sprint at first and slow down as the race progresses. Although, I knew a bit about maintaining pace, after joining Bhutan Amateur Athletics Federation, I learned more. This is all because of the federation’s support and my coach who has trained me.”
Winning a medal at the Olympics is a tough ask, but she said she will give her best.
“All the competitors in the Olympics are qualified athletes. If we see their record, their timing is two hours and 14 or 15 minutes. They are all trained for about five to six years. I have also had an opportunity to train for about six months. However, I donot have experience like them, and I doubt how I can compete with them. However, I will work hard and compete with them.”
Similarly, coach Kinzang Dorji said that with support from the Bhutan Olympic Committee and the federation, Kinzang will be able to perform well.
“Currently she takes about three hours and 26 minutes to complete. She has been performing well in the training and her training is also going smoothly. I hope that she will perform better at the Olympics than in the training.”
The women’s marathon take place on the 11th of August, just a few hours before the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics.
Joining Kinzang to represent Bhutan at the games are Lam Dorji and Sangay Tenzing who will compete in recurve archery and swimming respectively.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Kipchu
