Thạch Kim Tuấn competes in the men’s U61kg category in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Sunday.  Photo vietbao.vn

Olympics

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s medal hope, weightlifter Thạch Kim Tuấn has dropped out of the Olympics. He failed to progress in the men’s U61kg category in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Sunday.

In the snatch, he lifted 126kg coming eighth out of nine weightlifters. In the clean and jerk, he failed to lift 150kg on the first two attempts and failed at 153kg in the third attempt.

His total lifts were not counted because he failed in the clean and jerk.

It looked as though Tuấn, born in 1994, ran into psychological issues. He looked very nervous while competing.

Tuấn’s best total lift is 304kg (135kg in snatch, 169kg in the clean and jerk), achieved at the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2019 where he took the silver medal overall. This was just 5kg less than the Indonesian gold medalist Irawan Eko Yuli.

In the Rio Olympics five years ago, Tuấn also failed three attempts in the clean and jerk in the men's 56kg weight class. Competition mentality is his biggest weakness in important events, where he is expected to win medals.

The gold medal of the men’s U61kg category yesterday belonged to  Li Fabin of China lifting 313kg in total (141kg in snatch and 172kg in clean and jerk).

The Chinese weightlifter also set a new Olympics record in this division. The silver medal went to Irawan Eko Yuli of Indonesia with 302kg, while Son Igor of Kazakhstan took the bronze medal with 294 kg.

Vietnamese weightlifting’s last hope is female athlete Hoàng Thị Duyên who will compete in the women's U59 kg category on July 27.

In boxing, Nguyễn Thị Tâm lost to Krasteva Stoyka Zhelyazkova of Bulgaria in the women’s U51kg. Zhelyazkova won 3 - 2 on points.

Vietnamese boxer Nguyễn Thị Tâm (right). AFP/VNA Photo

On Sunday morning, the Vietnamese rowers also missed out on making the medal group.

Duo Đinh Thị Hảo and Lường Thị Thảo finished fifth in the women's pair repechage of the lightweight double sculls at the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo, Japan.

The Vietnamese pair competed against Switzerland, Russia, Ireland, Austria and Guatemala. As a rule, the leading three teams will advance to the semi-finals of Group A/B and the last three finalists will enter Group C.

Vietnamese rowers completed their race with a time of 7:53.69, 30 seconds outside of the top three. This result put the Vietnamese team into the final of Group C where they will compete for ranking and not a medal position.

Earlier, the Vietnamese rowing duo finished fourth in the qualifying round with a time of 7:36.21 which meant they had to take part in a repechage to vie for a berth in the semi-final.

The Vietnamese team won the ticket to the Tokyo Olympics after qualifying for the Asia-Pacific region in Japan, in early May, in which Việt Nam clocked a time of 7:17.34 to rank second.

This is the third Olympic event for the Vietnamese rowers. The athletes competed in the women’s lightweight double at London in 2012 and Rio in 2016. The Vietnamese rowers have only ever made it to the finals of group C.

Judoka Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thuỷ (right). AFP/VNA Photo

In judo, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thuỷ lost to arch rival Andreea Chitu of Romania 0-10 in the qualifying round of the women’s 52kg category.

Chitu took part in the Olympics in 2012 and 2016, she also won silver medals in the World Championships in 2014 and 2015.  VNS