SEA Games 29: Weightlifters win more gold medals

The Vietnamese sports delegation won two additional gold medals at the on-going 29th South East Asian (SEA) Games in Malaysia on August 28, all came from weightlifting.

Weightlifter Trinh Van Vinh wins the gold medal in in the men 62kg event and also breaks two SEA Games records on August 28. (Screenshot capture)
Weightlifter Trinh Van Vinh wins the gold medal in in the men 62kg event and also breaks two SEA Games records on August 28. (Screenshot capture)

>>> Thach Kim Tuan secures Vietnam’s first weightlifting gold medal

>>> SEA Games: Second gold medal for Vietnamese weightlifting

It was Thach Kim Tuan's victory in the 56kg category with a lift of 267 kg. After the gold medal of Tuan, Vietnam’s weightlifting team continued to win a miracle in the 62kg class thanks to Trinh Van Vinh.

Vinh lifted 307kg in total, breaking the record of 304 kg set at by Eko Yuki Irawan from Indonesia in the previous games. Vinh’s performance also helped him break another SEA Games record in the snatch lift category with a lift of 172 kg, compared to the previous record of 167 kg also by Indonesian Irawan.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese top badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh, world No 62, was defeated 21-11, 21-16 by SEA Games No. 1 seeded Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, world No 22, in their match. The 34-year-old player secured a bronze medal in the men's singles and finished his SEA Games career.

A bit of regret came from the silver medal by Taekwondo artist Truong Thi Kim Tuyen in the women’s under-46kg category as she lost to Thailand’s Khantikulanon in the final seconds of their game. Meanwhile, Vo Quoc Hung clearly demonstrates a lack of experience against Thai opponent Ramnarong Sawekwiharee in the men’s final under 54kg category.

Vietnam earned one more silver medal in women’s rhythmic gymnastics mixed apparatus (two ropes and three balls) thanks to the team of Le Viet Trinh, Nguyen Hong Nhung, Pham Nguyen Van Nhi, Trinh Huong Giang and Truong Mai Nhat Linh. The silver was a surprise in the team’s first competition at the SEA Games.

Wrapping up competition on Monday, Vietnam won a total of 55 golds, 41 silvers and 51 bronzes, ranking third on the 29th SEA Games medal tally. Thailand rank second with five more golds than Vietnam, while hosts Malaysia continues to take the lead with 109 golds.

In the remaining two days of SEA Games 29, Vietnam hopes to win 6-8 gold medals in Taekwondo, Pencak Silat and Muay.

The Pencak Silat team is expected to be the "gold mine" for Vietnam tomorrow. On Monday afternoon, the team won nine consecutive semi-finals to win nine tickets to the finals which will be played tomorrow.