Vietnam will send two swimmers to the 2012 London Olympics on Universality places, raising the number of the Vietnamese athletes attending to 18.
Lam Quang Thanh, Vice General Director of the National Sports Administration and Manager of the Vietnamese Team to London , said the two swimmers given the green light are Hoang Quy Phuoc and Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, Vietnam ’s best swimmers.
Although Phuoc qualified at Olympic B standard in the 100m butterfly while Vien qualified at Olympic B standard in the women’s 200m breaststroke and the 200m freestyle, the administration decided to utilise the Universality places to ensure they will be able to swim in London .
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) occasionally awards extra places to countries whose athletes have not qualified to Olympic A standard but who have been putting in exceptional performances.
According to Thanh, some Vietnamese athletes still have chance to compete in London if they perform well at Olympic B standard.-VNA