Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Four Vietnamese athletes will go up against international rivals in the World Aquatics Championships 2025 taking place between July 11 and August 3 in Singapore.
The nation's best swimmers are multiple SEA Games champions Nguyen Huy Hoang, Pham Thanh Bao and Nguyen Quang Thuan as well as Paris Olympian Vo Thi My Tien, who qualified for the tournament after beating the Olympics' B standard, a mandatory requirement.
Hoang will compete in the men's 1,500m freestyle, Bao will swim in the men's 100m breaststroke, and Thuan will take part in the men's 400m individual medley. Meanwhile Tien, the only woman, will undoubtedly shine in the 200m individual medley.
Another Vietnamese swimmer Tran Hung Nguyen also passed the B standard in the 400m individual medley — but his result was not as good as Thuan's, so Thuan earned the only ticket from the International Swimming Federation (FINA).
The world championships will be the first international competition for the Vietnamese swimmers in 2025.
Facing the world's strongest swimmers will be a great opportunity for them to learn and overcome their limits, according to the coaching board.
There are six aquatic competitions — swimming, artistic swimming, open water swimming, diving, high diving and water polo — held on a rotating basis in Singapore. Swimming tournaments will be held from July 27 to August 3.
"This year, each of our swimmers can take part in only one event, so they need to be really focused. They are asked to at least beat their own personal bests. Swimmers have spent a lot of time preparing for the event, and their results will be shown clearly in Singapore," said Vietnam’s Sports Authority Swimming Department official Le Thanh Huyen.
She added that they will join their teammates in other competitions, such as the Asian championships in India in October, which are important for the coaching board to finalise their choices ahead of the 33rd SEA Games.
Vietnam will compete in all 38 categories held in Thailand this December.
In the previous Games in 2023, Vietnam won seven gold medals, placing second behind powerhouse Singapore, which bagged 22.
In other swimming news, teenaged athletes arrived home after earning third place at the Southeast Asian Age Groups Swimming Championships 2025.
They won 22 golds and set four new records, standing below host Thailand, which secured 38 gold medals, and Singapore, which took 26 golds.
Among the champions, Nguyen Thuy Hien and Tran Van Nguyen Quoc of Vietnam were honoured as the two best swimmers in the girls' and boys' 16-18-year-old classes, respectively.
All four of Vietnam’s new records went to Hien, who excelled in the 50m breaststroke, 50m and 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly races./.
