Swimmer becomes Vietnam’s 3rd 2024 Olympic qualifier

Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang has secured a ticket to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris after winning a bronze medal in the men’s 800m freestyle category on Thursday at the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

Hoang finished the men’s 800 m freestyle event in seven minutes and 51.44 seconds, which was 0.21 seconds faster than the Olympic standard time.

The 23-year-old swimmer is the third Vietnamese athlete that has claimed 2024 Olympic qualification.

Before that, shooter Trinh Thu Vinh won a ticket to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, scheduled for July 26 to August 11 next year, after ranking fifth in women’s 10m air pistol at the 2023 ISSF World Shooting Championships in August and female cyclist Nguyen Thi That qualified after winning the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Road and Para Cycling Championships in June.

Born in 2000, Hoang has been considered a talented swimmer in the country over the past few years.

He holds the national and Southeast Asian records in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle.

He won a gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympics, a silver and a bronze at the 2018 Asian Games, along with 11 Southeast Asian Games gold medals.

Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang celebrates after winning the bronze medal in the men’s 800m freestyle at the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, September 28, 2023. Photo: Quy Luong / Tuoi Tre

Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang celebrates after winning the bronze medal in men’s 800m freestyle at the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, September 28, 2023. Photo: Quy Luong / Tuoi Tre

In Thursday’s men’s 800m freestyle event, South Korea’s Kim Woo Min won the gold medal with a result of seven minutes and 46.03 seconds, 2.33 seconds faster than the previous Asian Games record set by China’s Sun Yang.

Chinese swimmer Fei Liwei won the silver medal in seven minutes and 49.90 seconds.

Vietnam dispatched a delegation of 504 participants and coaches, including 320 athletes, to the 19th Asian Games, which feature a total of 40 sports and 481 events, with a target of winning at least two gold medals before the tournament concludes on October 8.

The country held the 15th position in the rankings with one gold medal, two silvers, and 11 bronzes as of 2:30 pm.

Host China is leading the medal table with a dominant count of 95 gold medals, 55 silvers, and 27 bronzes, followed by South Korea with 24 gold medals, 24 silvers, and 41 bronzes and Japan with 20 gold medals, 31 silvers, and 32 bronzes.

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