Tokyo 2020 Games – A special Olympic version

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will officially raise its curtain tonight (July 23) after a year-long delay due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking place in a special context, the Tokyo 2020 Games demonstrate solidarity, friendship and united efforts of the world sports in overcoming difficulties to conquer achievement peaks and look towards the future.

Vietnamese archers practise in Tokyo before entering the recurve competition at the 2020 Olympics.
Vietnamese archers practise in Tokyo before entering the recurve competition at the 2020 Olympics.

>>> Vietnam’s medal chances at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Amidst the complicated developments of COVID-19, Tokyo has been in a state of emergency. The organisation of the 2020 Olympics is a great effort of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the host country, Japan. For the first time in history, the Olympic venues will be without the presence of spectators, and the issue of ensuring epidemiological safety has been placed as top with many strict restriction and management requirements.

Tokyo 2020 sees the participation of more than 11,000 athletes representing 206 national contingents from countries and territories worldwide. The United States is sending the largest delegation to the Games with 630 competitors, followed by Japan (552), Australia (469), Germany (425), China (414) and France (397). Meanwhile, the smallest delegation is fielded by Chad with just one male athlete. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea does not feature in Tokyo 2020 for fears of the pandemic, while Russian athletes are competing as neutrals under doping-related sanctions.

This is the second time that Tokyo has hosted the Olympics after the first in 1964. The Japanese capital is also the first Asian city to host two Olympic editions thus far.

Vietnam is being represented by a 43-strong contingent at the 2020 Games, including 18 athletes in 19 events across 11 sports, with its medal hopes pinned on weightlifters Thach Kim Tuan (men’s 61kg) and Hoang Thi Duyen (women’s 59kg).

Weightlifters Thach Kim Tuan and Hoang Thi Duyen are among Vietnam's possible medal prospects at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

After the historic silver medal won by taekwondo fighter Tran Hieu Ngan at the 2000 Olympics, reigning Asian champion in the women’s 49 kg category Truong Thi Kim Tuyen is being expected to excel in Tokyo and grab an additional medal for Vietnam in the martial art. The 2016 Olympic title holder Hoang Xuan Vinh will also feature in the Tokyo Games by invitation, opening Vietnam’s medal hopes in the men’s 10m air pistol event. Meanwhile, the remaining 14 Vietnamese Olympians are all the champions and outstanding performers in gymnastics, athletics, swimming, archery, badminton, rowing, boxing and judo at the Southeast Asian and Asian arenas.

According to the Vietnam Olympic Committee, track and field athlete Quach Thi Lan and swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang will hold the flag of the Vietnamese sports delegation at the opening ceremony. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will officially take place from July 23 to August 8.

Five years ago, Vietnam enjoyed its most successful Olympic campaign ever, ranking 45th in the overall Rio Games medal table with one gold and one silver, both won by shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh.

This morning, archer Do Thi Anh Nguyet kick-started the Vietnamese contingent’s campaign at the Tokyo Olympics as she competed in the ranking round of the women’s recurve category.

The Vietnamese representative stood at 49th out of the 64 competitors with a score of 628, which was not her career best as she once scored 639 in March 2020. However, opportunities remain ahead for the 20-year-old girl. The results of the ranking round are used to decide pairing for the knockout phase starting on July 27.

Also in this category, the Republic of Korea’s An San set a new Olympic record with a score of 680, seven more than the old record previously held by Ukraine’s Herasymenko Lina (in 1996).

At 1pm today, another Vietnamese archer Nguyen Hoang Phi Vu will compete in the men’s recurve event against 63 other athletes. If the combined score of Nguyet and Vu is among the top 16, they will qualify for the mixed doubles category.