Young Vietnamese swimmer Nguyễn Huy Hoàng. Photo baovanhoa.vn

HÀ NỘI Young talent Nguyễn Huy Hoàng has become the first Vietnamese athlete to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the FINA World Championship in Gwangju, South Korea, yesterday, Hoàng, 19, finished the men’s 800 metre freestyle event with a time of 7:52.74.

Hoàng’s result met the Olympic Standard A time of 7: 54.31.

It was still not Hoàng's best result as he won a gold medal at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Argentina with a time of 7:50.20.

Hoàng will take part in the 1,500m freestyle on July 27. He won the gold medal in this event at the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia in 2017.

He also grabbed a silver medal in the men’s 100m freestyle and a bronze medal in the men’s 800m freestyle during the Asian Games last year. VNS