Swimmer Anh Vien sweeps two more gold medals

Vietnam’s swimming star Nguyen Thi Anh Vien has increased her gold-medal tally at the 30th SEA Games to three after claiming top honour in the women’s 200m backstroke and 200m freestyle events on the afternoon of December 6.

Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien competes in the women's 200m backstroke final. (Photo: Vnexpress)
Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien competes in the women's 200m backstroke final. (Photo: Vnexpress)

Anh Vien emerged as the fastest in the 200m freestyle race with a time of 2:00.75, beating the silver medalist Junkrajang Natthanan (Thailand) by 0.18 seconds and 0.89 seconds faster than the bronze-medal winner Rule Remedy Alexis (Philippines).

Nearly one hour later, the Vietnamese swimmer continued to successfully defend her 200m backstroke title, clocking the best time of 2:15.32, with Indonesia’s Fitriyati Nurul Fajar and the Philippines’ Isleta Chloe Kennedy Anne finishing 2.52 and 3.16 seconds behind, respectively.

Earlier on Thursday, Anh Vien pocketed her first title in this year’s SEA Games in the 200m individual medley discipline.

Anh Vien has now won three gold medals at the 30th SEA Games. (Photo: Vnexpress)

Together with Anh Vien’s brilliance, Vietnam won three additional gold medals this afternoon thanks to Le Anh Tai (judo, men’s 90kg), Truong Thi Phuong (canoe, women’s singles 500m) and Nguyen Thi That (cycling, women’s mass start individual).

Leaders of Vietnam's cycling team congratulate Nguyen Thi That after she takes the gold medal. (Photo: Vnexpress)

Tran Van Vu missed out on a kayak gold for Vietnam with a second-place finish in the men’s singles 1,000m event, while judo artist Nguyen Thi Nhu Y also settled for a silver in the women’s +78kg category. Fencing contributed another in the women’s team foil discipline.

In addition, Vietnamese athletes won ten more bronze medals in swimming (men’s 100m butterfly, men’s 4x100m freestyle relay), judo (men’s +100kg, women’s -78kg), sambo (sport sambo -80kg), diving (women’s 3m springboard diving), tennis (men’s doubles, women’s doubles), petanque (women’s doubles) and canoe (men’s 1000m doubles).

As of 6.30pm today, Vietnam dropped to third in the SEA Games medal table with 38 golds, two behind Indonesia and 33 fewer than that of the Philippines.

The 2019 SEA Games medal table as of 6.30pm on December 6.

* Swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang wins second individual gold medal

* Swimmer Huy Hoang seizes gold, breaks SEA Games record