As she is being sponsored to the tune of 170,000-180,000 USDby the State, the swimmer is expected to bring home no less than eight goldmedals.
According to the National Sports Administration, Vien iscurrently in the US for intensive training ahead of the Games.
The swimmer is receiving more sponsorship money than all thecountry’s track-and-field athletes combined.
Vien, from the southern city of Can Tho, will return Vietnamin July to prepare for the World Swimming Championship in the Republic of Koreaand then come back again to the US for more training.
As one of Vietnam’s most talented athletes, Vien has trainedin the US since 2012, backed by tens of VND each year from the National SportsAdministration and her team, the Military team.
Across four SEA Games, the 22-year-old has bagged 19 gold,seven silver and two bronze medals and broken 11 regional records.
In the first Games in 2011, at the age of 15, Vien tooksilvers in the women’s 100m backstroke and 400m medley.
Two years later, she took home three golds and two silvers. Atthe Games 2015 and 2017, Vien seized eight gold medals each.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has invested 30billion VND (1.3 million USD) to help prepare 27 head coaches and 66 athletesincluding Vien and 2018 ASIAD long jump Bui Thi Thu Thao for key internationalcontests such as the SEA Games in the Philippines and qualifiers for the 2020Tokyo Olympics, SEA Games 2021 and ASIAD 2022.
At the Games this year, Vietnam aims to rank in top three.In the Games two years ago, Vietnam finished third with 58 gold medals.-VNS/VNA