Nguyễn Huy Hoàng is set to lead the national team at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand. Photo courtesy of SAV

HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Huy Hoàng is expected to lead the swimming team to defend their titles at the 33rd SEA Games next month in Thailand.

At the 32nd Games in Cambodia, Việt Nam took seven gold medals to finish second, with Hoàng earning three of the golds in the men's 400m and 1,500m freestyle and 4×200m freestyle relay events.

Hoàng has been tasked with maintaining his top positions in the above events as well as winning in the open water race, which has returned to the competition this year.

The former Youth Olympic Games silver medallist is currently at his peak ahead of the biennial regional tournament. He pocketed two gold medals in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle and a silver in the 400m freestyle in the Asian championships in September.

His victory marked the first time a Vietnamese swimmer topped the podium at the continental tournament.

Hoàng also gained a gold in the 10km swimming event at the Southeast Asian championships earlier in September, and earned his best result in over a year with a time of 15min 15.01 in the 1,500m race.

According to his coaches, the time was not as good as what he achieved to win gold in Cambodia, but it was an impressive return to form for the nation's top male swimmer after a disappointing show in 2024.

His coaches said they believe these medals will motivate him to do even better in this year's SEA Games.

"In general, Hoàng has maintained his leading position in the middle and long distances. Winning a gold medal in an extremely long event like the 10km also shows that his physical foundation has improved significantly," said coach Nguyễn Hoàng Vũ.

"This is an important factor for him to compete in different events in a short period of time, and achieve good results. If he competes at his best, the Paris Olympian will bring home two to three individual gold medals."

He added that Hoàng is a persistent athlete with strong willpower and the ability to stay focused. His experience at major competitions, such as the Olympics, ASIAD and the SEA Games, has taught him how to manage his mindset and pace himself effectively to maintain a consistent performance.

Swimmers Trần Hưng Nguyên and Phạm Thanh Bảo also represent the team's hopes for a Việt Nam win.

The duo took two golds each at the previous Games, and are expected to maintain their top ranking this December.

Trần Hưng Nguyên is expected to win three gold medals at the SEA Games. — Photo thethao247com

Nguyên is Việt Nam's best swimmer in the medley events. He took a silver in the 400m individual medley in the Asian championship this year.

His backstroke technique has shown remarkable recent improvement, and he seems ready to win gold in the 200m backstroke this year after finishing second in the last SEA Games. Nguyên hopes to take up to three individual gold medals for Việt Nam.

Meanwhile, Bảo has showed a consistent performance in the breaststroke, earning a bronze in the 200m breaststroke at the Asian tournament. This achievement has helped his coaches believe he can defend the SEA Games 100m and 200m breaststroke titles, although strong Singaporean rivals Nicholas Mahabir and Maximillian Ang are major obstacles.

Nguyễn Quang Thuấn is also considered a potential winner for the swim team in Bangkok. He won a silver in the 400m individual medley in his SEA Games debut in 2022, then repeated the achievement with a better time in the last Games.

He qualified for the 2022 Asian Games' final round at the age of 16, a good result for any young swimmer.

Thuấn's progress looks promising for Việt Nam's gold medal prospects in Thailand.

On the women's side, Việt Nam hasn't been able to compete for golds in years, after famed swimmer Nguyễn Thị Ánh Viên retired in 2021.

The team's best efforts earned them bronzes in Cambodia, with Nguyễn Thúy Hiền medalling in the 100m freestyle and Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên in the 400m and 800m freestyle events.

Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên hopes to win Việt Nam's first gold in four years in the women's category.

While Hiền is still young at 16 and can expect to continue improving in the future, Paris Olympian Tiên will shoulder the heaviest task for the team, especially after earning a silver in the 200m freestyle and bronze in the 400m individual medley at the Asian championships.

"Swimmers will face tough rivals in the SEA Games, where all countries are looking for the highest results," said coach Hoàng Vũ.

"My swimmers each have their own strong point, and I've asked them to prepare well and bring their best into play next month." VNS