Nguyen Thi Anh Vien is expected to shine at the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games (Photo: plo.vn) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Hopes are high for Vietnam’s top female swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien at the upcoming 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 30) to be held in the Philippines this November.
As she is being sponsored to the tune of 170,000-180,000 USD by the State, the swimmer is expected to bring home no less than eight gold medals.
According to the National Sports Administration, Vien is currently in the US for intensive training ahead of the Games.
The swimmer is receiving more sponsorship money than all the country’s track-and-field athletes combined.
Vien, from the southern city of Can Tho, will return Vietnam in July to prepare for the World Swimming Championship in the Republic of Korea and then come back again to the US for more training.
As one of Vietnam’s most talented athletes, Vien has trained in the US since 2012, backed by tens of VND each year from the National Sports Administration 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 took silvers in the women’s 100m backstroke and 400m medley.
Two years later, she took home three golds and two silvers. At the Games 2015 and 2017, Vien seized eight gold medals each.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has invested 30 billion VND (1.3 million USD) to help prepare 27 head coaches and 66 athletes including Vien and 2018 ASIAD long jump Bui Thi Thu Thao for key international contests such as the SEA Games in the Philippines and qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo 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
As she is being sponsored to the tune of 170,000-180,000 USD by the State, the swimmer is expected to bring home no less than eight gold medals.
According to the National Sports Administration, Vien is currently in the US for intensive training ahead of the Games.
The swimmer is receiving more sponsorship money than all the country’s track-and-field athletes combined.
Vien, from the southern city of Can Tho, will return Vietnam in July to prepare for the World Swimming Championship in the Republic of Korea and then come back again to the US for more training.
As one of Vietnam’s most talented athletes, Vien has trained in the US since 2012, backed by tens of VND each year from the National Sports Administration 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 took silvers in the women’s 100m backstroke and 400m medley.
Two years later, she took home three golds and two silvers. At the Games 2015 and 2017, Vien seized eight gold medals each.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has invested 30 billion VND (1.3 million USD) to help prepare 27 head coaches and 66 athletes including Vien and 2018 ASIAD long jump Bui Thi Thu Thao for key international contests such as the SEA Games in the Philippines and qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo 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
VNA
