SEA Games 29: Swimming gold mine

(Baonghean.vn) - For the first time, the Vietnamese Sports Delegation will participate in all38 sets of swimming medals took place from August 21 to 26. With the swimmers of the Vietnamese swimming team all having trained abroad in the past time: Anh Vien, Le Nguyen Paul (trained in the US), Quy Phuoc (Hungary), Quang Nhat (China)... the swimming teamset a target of winning 10-12 gold medals, in which Anh Vien alone is responsible for winning about 10 gold medals.

The Vietnamese swimming team has 17 athletes, 7 coaches, including 3 foreign experts, competing for all 38 sets of medals. It can be seen that many swimmers are in very good form such as: Lam Quang Nhat, Nguyen Huy Hoang (men's 1,500m), Hoang Quy Phuoc (100, 200m freestyle), Tran Duy Khoi, Le Nguyen Paul, Nguyen Diep Phuong Tram and especially Anh Vien - the 21-year-old girl holding 8 SEA Games gold medals.

Responsibility

At the 2017 SEA Games, the Vietnamese swimming team was set a target of winning 10-12 gold medals out of the Vietnamese delegation's goal of winning 60 gold medals, with Anh Vien alone responsible for winning about 10 gold medals.

Remember, at the 28th SEA Games in 2015, swimmer Anh Vien made waves in the blue race, winning 8 gold medals and breaking 8 records. That achievement surpassed the record of Singapore swimming legend Joscelin Yeo - who won 7 individual gold medals at the 1993 SEA Games. It was truly a memorable SEA Games for Anh Vien, the swimming team and the Vietnamese sports delegation.

Swimmer Anh Vien continues to be the great hope of the Vietnam Sports Delegation. Photo: Internet

At the 2017 World Swimming Championships that just ended, in both of her registered events, the 200m and 400m medley, Anh Vien achieved a time of 4 minutes 40 seconds 39, far exceeding her own SEA Games record (4 minutes 42 seconds 88). In the 200m medley, Anh Vien achieved a time of 2 minutes 13 seconds 36 (surpassing the SEA Games record set in Singapore of 2 minutes 13 seconds 53). Although Anh Vien could not make it to the finals, her achievements were better than the SEA Games record.

According to coach Dang Anh Tuan's calculation: "SEA Games 29 takes place right after the world tournament and because we know this schedule in advance, we have a long-term preparation plan so that both tournaments can achieve the set targets without Anh Vien being overloaded."

He believes that his student is fully capable of successfully defending her 8 gold medals at the 2017 SEA Games (in addition to the 200m, 400m medley, the other 6 events that Anh Vien is dominating in the SEA Games are: 200m, 400m, 800m freestyle; 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke). In addition, she can also change the color of the medals in the 100m freestyle (won silver medal at the 2015 SEA Games), 50m backstroke (bronze medal at the 2015 SEA Games).

Competitor

Vietnam's direct competitor is the Singapore team. Remember, at the 28th SEA Games, Singaporean swimmer J.Schooling won 9 gold medals (6 individual events and 3 relay events). Of those 9 gold medals, 8 were new SEA Games records set by him and his teammates in the Singapore swimming team.

Athlete Hoang Quy Phuoc will register to participate in the 100 and 200m freestyle events. Photo: Internet

According to experts, the Singapore swimming team is still our rival for medals in this SEA Games. They are very strong in the freestyle relay, backstroke (men) and backstroke, butterfly, short-distance freestyle 50, 100m as well as team relay (women). Singapore athletes currently hold 23/30 SEA Games records, followed by Vietnam with 9/38, Malaysia with 3/38…

Thanks to the key and in-depth investment by sending athletes to train abroad, Vietnamese swimming is among the top in Southeast Asia.

This year, in addition to competing for 38 sets of medals, we also have many athletes holding SEA Games records such as Lam Quang Nhat, Hoang Quy Phuoc, and Anh Vien.

When each country is only allowed to send 2 athletes to compete in 1 event, the arrangement of which athletes will compete in which event is still a secret. Even Anh Vien registered to compete in 18 events out of a total of 38 swimming medal sets. When the competition day is near, the coaching board will decide which event the Can Tho girl will compete in based on the actual situation.

As the golden hope of the Vietnamese Sports Delegation attending the 29th SEA Games, Anh Vien confidently said: "The SEA Games has many strong opponents, but I am always aware that the biggest opponent is myself"./.

AT