Bou Samnang: Meet the Cambodian runner who became a viral sensation at the SEA Games 2023

Olympics.com talks exclusively to Cambodia's 5,000m runner who refused to give up at her home Southeast Asian Games despite being the last one on the track when a torrential downpour started.

By Jo Gunston 16 May 2023 16:09 GMT+1
disciplineAthletics

 

 

Bou Samnang Cambodia's SEA Games viral sensation

“My life has changed 180 degrees,” Cambodian runner Bou Samnang told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh. “Everywhere I go everyone wants to take pictures of me, people recognise me when I’m out.”

The reason for such an abrupt change in circumstances, when seven days previously the 20-year-old was just another athlete hoping to do well at her home Games, was the grit and determination she showed during the 5,000m race on 9 May.

Already last in the field, Samnang kept running despite a torrential rainstorm that began after most of the field had already finished.

Thi Oanh of Vietnam had crossed the line first nearly six minutes ahead of Samnang, but the Cambodian kept plodding on through the storm, refusing to give up.

“It was very rainy and very windy and the thunder and the lightning I heard and saw as well,” said Samnang, who was aware of rain in the forecast but “didn’t know it was going to rain that much”.

On crossing the finish line, Samnang was hugely emotional, her own tears mingling with the rain streaking down her face. So why didn’t she just give up?

 

“It was important for me to finish the race because of the crowd support that I had and also that I was representing Cambodia. I couldn’t just stop the race even though I had the right to," said Samnang, who also had a health issue that was set to impact her performance even before the rain fell. Suffering from anaemia, she admits she did not feel well that day.

"Usually in those cases I could have left it where it was, but yes it was important for me as I was representing Cambodia to see the race through.”

For 90 seconds Samnang was on the track alone after the penultimate athlete had finished. So, what was she thinking during that time?

“I was disappointed knowing that I was the last one and that people had finished before me, but what kept me going was the support. Not only were there national fans, there were international fans cheering me on.

"I was also thinking, given my health circumstances, the fact that I’d got to that point was pretty good for me and with the encouragement from the fans I knew that I couldn’t just stop racing and had to see it through.”

Asked to confirm that she had actually checked her watch for her time during this period, Samnang smiled. “Yes, I was just checking to see where I was.”

Could you even seen the watch face through the rain?

Yes,” she said. “After I wiped it I could see it.”

What next for viral superstar Bou Samnang?

Studying law is the next focus for Cambodia’s new track star but she’ll be studying alongside her athletics career.

“Those two things are very, very important to me – one is for my future and one is for the country.

“It’ll be hard because I won’t have enough time to train or have enough time to rest but it’s important for me to do both as they are both equally meaningful to me.”

The grit showed during the unforgettable 5,000m race will serve Samnang well in her endeavours.

“Determination is super important both in my law career and my athletics career,” agreed Samnang. “I think having that determination will help me succeed and it’s super important to have in life.”

So what has she learned from this experience?

“I’ve learned to never give up, to keep pushing, to keep persevering, to have patience. Even if you walk slow, even if you go slow, the important thing is that you finish. Even if you go slow, it’s much better than not finishing, not crossing the finish line, so this is what I’ve learned from this experience, just to keep going forward and keep persevering.”