Shooter Trịnh Thu Vinh takes No 1 position in the list of Top 10 Athletes of the Year. VNS/VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — Shooter Trịnh Thu Vinh claimed the top spot in the list of Top 10 Athletes of the Year after a vote by national journalists on December 26.

Vinh received 1,286 points to earn this honor for the first time. In 2024, the 24-year-old achieved several domestic tournament titles, won gold at the Asian Championship, and secured fourth place in the 10m air pistol event at the Paris Olympics.

She was followed by cueist Trần Quyết Chiến, who is ranked world No 1 in the 9-ball ranking after winning two World Cup trophies, and volleyball player Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền, who is ranked world No. 6 as an opposite hitter with individual titles in all international tournaments that Vietnam participated in during 2024.

Other athletes on the list include canoeist Nguyễn Thị Hương, rower Phạm Thị Huệ, badminton player Nguyễn Thùy Linh, cyclist Nguyễn Thị Thật, boxer Hà Thị Linh, runner Trần Thị Nhi Yến, and archer Đỗ Thị Ánh Nguyệt.

Top 5 Coaches of the Year honoured Trần Tuấn Kiệt (volleyball), Nguyễn Việt Hòa (billiards), Nguyễn Đình Hoàng (women's futsal), Lưu Văn Hoàn (canoeing) and Trần Quốc Cường (shooting).

In the Top 5 Athletes with Disabilities, powerlifter Lê Văn Công had no worthy rival. He topped the list with 538 points, leaving other players far behind.

In 2024, Công won Việt Nam bronze at the Paris Paralympics and two World Cup title in the 49kg category.

Powerlifter Lê Văn Công is the best athlete with disabilities of 2024.

Other names in the list were lifters Châu Hoàng Tuyết Loan, swimmers Lê Tiến Đạt and Lê Thanh Hải, and chess master Đoàn Thu Huyền.

Three best coaches of athletes with disabilities were Lê Quang Thái (powerlifting), Nguyễn Đăng Viễn (swimming) and Bùi Quang Vũ (chess).

In its 46th edition, a new category for Top 3 Teams of the Year was introduced. The national volleyball squad emerged as the winner, having bagged the Challenger Cup title and placed third at the FIVB Challenger Cup.

The national women's futsal squad and the 4x400m relay team followed in second and third place, respectively.

The annual vote was organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Sports Authority of Vietnam (SAV), the Vietnam Olympic Committee, and the Vietnam Paralympic Committee.

The election aims to praise and honor outstanding athletes, coaches, disabled sports athletes, and disabled sports coaches who have achieved remarkable success at home and abroad in 2024.

"The vote is an important event for athletes and coaches as it recognises their great efforts throughout the year and provides strong motivation for them to work harder and achieve higher accomplishments in the coming years," said SAV Director Đặng Hà Việt. VNS