Đinh Phương Thành competes in the rings of the 2023 National Gymnastics Championship 2023's men's individual all-round event. Thành is one of two Vietnamese athletes expected to win an Olympic ticket in this category. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese gymnasts will have their last chance to get an Olympic spot at the Men's Artistic Gymnastics Senior Asian Championships later this week in Taskent, Uzbekistan.

The 10-strong team, with all the elite athletes, will compete in all categories from May 16-19.

"It will be the final opportunity for the Vietnamese gymnasts who have prepared quite hard for high results," said Bùi Trung Thiện, an official of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam's Gymnastics Department.

"My athletes have been totally focused on improving their ability which will be on show at the upcoming event. I hope they will complete the task."

The first events will be the individual all-round. Two Olympic spots are available, one for men and one for women.

SEA Games champions Văn Vĩ Lương and Đinh Phương Thành are two Vietnamese representatives in the men's event, said to be the one with the best chance of success for Việt Nam.

Lương, 24, won gold in two recent SEA Games and has been a familiar face on the domestic podium over the last six years.

Thành, 28, is one of the best national gymnasts from the past decade and was the first Vietnamese to win golds in five SEA Games in a row.

Both Lương and Thành were members of Việt Nam's team that won team's all-round events in the 31st and 32nd SEA Games.

"Many strong athletes have already qualified , or their national Olympic committees have reached their quota places, so they will not get places regardless of their results," warned Thiện.  

"Based on the registration list, the toughest rival of Việt Nam is from Chinese Taipei. If we can advance to the finals and place higher, we will definitely take our slot. It will be tough, but we can make it." 

Nguyễn Văn Khánh Phong will participate in the men's rings at the Men's Artistic Gymnastics Senior Asian Championships on May 16-19 in Taskent, Uzbekistan. — VNA/VNS Photo

Other potential athletes are Nguyễn Văn Khánh Phong, Đặng Ngọc Xuân Thiện and Trịnh Hải Khang.

Phong was the 32nd SEA Games winner in men's rings after beating world champion Carlos Yulo of the Philippines last May. He finished second and earned silver at the Asian Gymnastics Championship in June and earned silver at the 19th Asian Games three months later.

Thiện is also a SEA Games champion and topped the pommel horse event in the last two SEA Games.

Khang is the youngest member of the team. He is expected to perform better that he did at the Egypt World Cup's vault in February when he was in the top six.

Thiện said the competitiveness was not as high as it was in previous qualifiers, but athletes needed to focus, perform to their absolute optimum and do better than their current best results at this tournament.

At the Tokyo Games in 2021, veterans Lê Thanh Tùng and Phương Thành took official slots. Tùng competed in the men's vault while Thành took part in the all-round event. VNS