Lê Thanh Tùng will represent Việt Nam  at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Gymnast Lê Thanh Tùng is Việt Nam's second athlete who has qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics next summer.

Tùng grabbed his berth after finishing fifth at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship's men's vault event in Stuttgart, Germany, on Monday.

The multi-time World Cup, Asian championship and SEA Games winner had two attempts which gave him an average score of 14,633 to place fifth in the qualification. The result pushed him to the finals for the first time in his career as well as the first time for in Việt Nam’s history.

Athletes would take their Olympic slot if they were in top three of individual events. Five athletes who stand above Tùng have already qualified for the Games, so Tùng will take his place before the finals on Sunday.

"14,633 is his personal best which makes him the first athlete of Việt Nam in the world championship tournament," said coach Trương Minh Sang.

Việt Nam take part in the German competition with six athletes, three males and three females. Other players did not make finals.

Previously, swimmer Nguyễn Huy Hoàng took the first Olympic berth for Việt Nam in the men's 800m event.

At the last Olympics in Brazil, there were 23 athletes wearing Vietnamese colours. — VNS