Swimmer Nguyễn Huy Hoàng is expected to shine at the Asian Games 19. Photo vietnamnet.vn

Swimming

HÀ NỘI — The national swimming team is gearing up for the 19th Asian Games (ASIAD) to be held in China next month.

Nguyễn Huy Hoàng, Phạm Thanh Bảo, and Trần Hưng Nguyên are considered key players on the team and are currently undergoing intensive training in Hungary with the goal of excelling in the continental event.

The team's medal hopes rest on Hoàng, who previously won a silver medal in the men's 1,500m and a bronze medal in the men's 800m freestyle at the ASIAD 2018. He is expected to aim for a higher podium finish in this year's event.

Nguyễn Thị Huyền, responsible for swimming at the Sports Authority of Việt Nam under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said: "The Vietnamese swimming team's focus at ASIAD 19 will be on Hoàng's performance in the 1,500m category. We hope he can outperform his previous achievements."

In the ASIAD 18 held in Indonesia, Hoàng completed the 1,500m race with a time of 15:01.63, securing the silver medal while yielding the gold to his Chinese rival Sun Yang, who finished in 14:58.53.

However, Hoàng now has an opportunity as Sun Yang is ineligible to participate in ASIAD 19 due to a four-year ban for doping. Nevertheless, the competition in the 1,500m event is still expected to be fierce, as Chinese swimming boasts several potential athletes who are capable of filling Sun Yang's shoes.

Swimmer Liwei Fei has caused a major surprise by temporarily leading the Asian men's 1,500m swimming rankings in 2023 with a time of 14 minutes 46 seconds 59, surpassing Sun Yang's performance in the Asian Games 18.

In 2022, Hoàng briefly held the top spot in Asia in the 1,500m category when he achieved a time of 15 minutes 00 seconds 75. His performance dipped to 15 minutes 11 seconds 24 at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia. However, his best performance is calculated for the ASIAD 19, not the tournament in Cambodia.

Apart from their goal of winning medals at ASIAD 19, the Vietnamese team is also aiming to secure spots at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

During the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Hoàng and Nguyễn Thị Ánh Viên represented Việt Nam.

Talented Vietnamese swimmer Nguyễn Hữu Kim Sơn will not be joining the national team to compete at ASIAD 19, as he has decided to retire from the national team in order to focus on his studies.

Sơn was seen as a swimmer with the potential to achieve success for the nation at ASIAD 19. He won gold medals at the 29th SEA Games in 2017 and the 31st SEA Games in 2022. Additionally, he achieved a ranking of 27th at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held in Japan.

The 19th Asian Games will take place from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China, with the participation of 45 countries and territories. Việt Nam will be sending a delegation of 320 athletes to the tournament. VNS