Swimming

Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên targets 33rd SEA Games' gold medals after success in national championships. VNS Photo Quang Thái

Thanh Hà

Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên has emerged as one of the most successful athletes at the National 25m Swimming Championships, winning eight gold medals and setting three new records.

The 20-year-old not only cements her status as Việt Nam’s top female swimmer but also shows promise as the country’s next aquatic star following in the footsteps of legendary Nguyễn Thị Ánh Viên.

Tiên is expected to play a key role for Việt Nam in upcoming international competitions, including the 33rd SEA Games in December this year.

“I always give my best in every race, striving to surpass my own achievements,” Tiên said. “When I’m in the pool, I focus on my performance. Hopefully, one day I can achieve the same level of success as my idol, Ánh Viên.”

New 'little mermaid'

Over five days of competition, Tiên impressed supporters with a remarkable performance.

Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên is currently the best female swimmer of Việt Nam. -- Photo courtesy of Mỹ Tiên

Representing Long An Province, she competed in 13 events and secured medals in all. In addition to her eight golds, she claimed one individual silver and bronze, as well as three bronze medals in team events.

Notably, she dominated and set new national records in three categories. Tiên broke the women’s 100m individual medley (IM) record with a time of 1min 2.07sec, surpassing the previous record of 1:02.47 set 12 years ago by Viên.

This marks the third time Tiên has broken one of Viên’s records, following her earlier achievements in the 200m and 400m IM events.

Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên has won eight golds and set three new records in the national swimming championships in 2025. -- VNS Photo Anh Tuấn

Her second record came in the 100m breaststroke, where she clocked 1:08.66, setting a new benchmark in the event after eight years.

The third record fell in the 200m breaststroke, with Tiên finishing in 2:26.44, surpassing her own previous record of 2:28.66 set last March.

Nguyễn Bảo Hoàn, director of the Long An Sports Training and Competition Centre, praised Tiên’s achievements, noting that her performance helped Long An secure third place in the overall medal tally.

“Tiên is a key athlete for Long An, and we are committed to providing her with the best possible support because she still has great potential to develop,” Hoàn said.

At just 14 years old Tiên made headlines by breaking Viên’s records in 2019. Five years later, she followed in her predecessor’s footsteps by representing Việt Nam at the Paris Olympics.

Following Viên’s retirement, Tiên has become Việt Nam’s top female swimmer, earning the title of the country’s new "little mermaid".

As the national team prepares for the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand later this year, Tiên is aiming to secure her first gold medal at the regional biennial sporting event.

SEA Games target

“Tiên’s results are outstanding, with strong statistics. The national coaching board will review her performance indicators and assess how to refine her training for further improvements,” said Lê Thanh Huyền at the Swimming Department of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam.

Tiên acknowledged that she still had room to improve.

“I need to stay focused and train harder to achieve my best results. This year, there are many strong swimmers in every tournament, so I must remain cautious, compete at my highest level, and stay motivated,” said Tiên, who was voted Việt Nam’s best female swimmer of 2024.

After the national championships, she will shift her focus to her third appearance at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore. She is expected to be one of the few Vietnamese swimmers to qualify for the event, having previously competed in 2022 and 2023.

Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên is one of two Vietnamese swimmers at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. -- Photo courtesy of Mỹ Tiên

“I have made progress since the Paris Olympics, where I learned a lot from elite swimmers. I hope that after this national championship, my coaches will make adjustments to help me swim even faster,” she said.

Her biggest goal of the year remains the 33rd SEA Games in December.

It will be her fourth appearance at the Games, where her best results so far have been silver medals in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle events at the 31st edition in Hà Nội in 2022.

At the last SEA Games in Cambodia, she added two bronze medals in the 400m and 800m freestyle.

Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên (right) and her idol Nguyễn Thị Ánh Viên pose for a photo together in 2022. Photo courtesy of Mỹ Tiên

After three appearances, her collection is missing just one thing—a gold medal.

“I always give my best in every competition. My achievements are for my home province of Long An in domestic tournaments and for Việt Nam when competing internationally,” Tiên said.

“I still have a lot to improve, from fixing technical mistakes to increasing my speed. My biggest goal right now is to win a SEA Games gold medal. My senior teammates have done it before, and I really hope to follow in their footsteps in Thailand,” she said. VNS