Hoang Quy Phuoc celebrates after winning the 200m freestyle event at last year’s SEA Games (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Swimmer Hoang Quy Phuoc, the Southeast Asian Games 200m freestyle champion, will compete for Vietnam at the Olympics in Brazil.
He is one of four Vietnamese men to reach the B standards of the International Swimming Federation.
According to the rules, Vietnam has one wildcard for women and another for men.
Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien will also compete for Vietnam in Brazil.
During his training in Hungary, Phuoc won a gold medal in the 100m butterfly event of the championship in April.
Phuoc is the 23rd Vietnamese athlete qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic. Vietnam could send only 18 athletes to compete in the London Games four years ago.
In other news, rower Pham Thi Thao was disqualified from the Games because of injury. Thao and her teammate, Ta Thanh Huyen, were expected to represent Vietnam in Brazil in the women’s lightweight double sculls event after they successfully bagged their slot in a qualification event in the Republic of Korea in April. Unfortunately, she suffered an injury during a recent training and will miss Brazil.
Ho Thi Ly will replace Thao.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on June 29 finalised a list of 50 athletes and officials, under deputy head of the National Sports Administration Tran Duc Phan, to take part in the Summer Games.
Twenty-three athletes will compete in 10 sports.
Vietnam did not win any gold medals in past Games but brought two silvers home - one in taekwondo from Sydney 2000, and one in weightlifting from Beijing 2008.
The Rio Olympics will open on August 5 and close 16 days later.
Organisers expect to welcome more than 10,500 participants from 206 countries and territories. Athletes will compete in 306 events and 28 sports.-VNA
