An Olympic team of Vietnamese titans

Thousands of athletes from around the world will gather at the upcoming Olympic Games, creating regular spectacles of sporting drama, intrigue, and passion. Some have competed at multiple Games, while others will rewrite the record books by representing their nations for the first time in the 33rd Games’ 32 sports.

Here is Việt Nam’s 16-strong team for the July 26 – August 11 Paris 2024 Olympics.

1. Cyclist Nguyễn Thị Thật

Nguyễn Thị Thật is the first cyclist from Việt Nam to earn an official spot at the world’s largest sporting festival. Thật has earned medals from local and international road race competitions since she was 15, making herself a legend in Việt Nam’s cycling. The five-time SEA Games champion and three-time Asian winner made history as the first Vietnamese cyclist to compete professionally in Europe, signing a contract with the Belgian Lotto-Soudal Ladies Club in 2018 before moving to Roland Israel Premier Tech Roland of Switzerland. She defended her Asian championship title last June and received her ticket to Paris.

2. Shooter Trịnh Thu Vinh

Specialising in the 10m air pistol, Trịnh Thu Vinh, 24, won and set a record at the national youth championship in 2018 and was called to the national team. In 2022, she won silver and bronze at the 31st SEA Games in Hà Nội and three golds at the Southeast Asian Championships in Thailand. Last August, Vinh placed No 5 in the world championship and officially qualified for the Olympics before bagging an Asian bronze in October and Southeast Asian gold in November. This January, Vinh took gold in the Asian championship’s mixed pair event in Indonesia.

3. Shooter Lê Thị Mộng Tuyền

Lê Thị Mộng Tuyền, an athlete from HCM City, has been practising shooting since she was a secondary school student. At age 18 in 2021, she became a member of the national team, specialising in the 10m air rifle. She brought home gold from the Southeast Asian Championship, her first international title, in 2022, and repeated her victory in 2023. This January, Tuyền scored 188.7 points and placed fifth at the Asian Championship in Indonesia.

4. Swimmer Nguyễn Huy Hoàng

Nguyễn Huy Hoàng excels in freestyle events, showcasing his ability from an early age. He made his name at the Asian Games with a silver and the Youth Olympics with a gold. Hoàng, 24, first qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo 2021, competing in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events. He has become a major figure in the regional SEA Games with 11 golds and many records. After taking two bronzes at the 19th Asian Games in China last September, Hoàng earned his opportunity to swim in Paris.

5. Swimmer Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên

Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên, 19, will arrive in Paris as a wildcard holder. She received her spot after Việt Nam could not have a female qualifier from official tournaments. The teenager has proved her talent through national competitions and is considered Việt Nam’s golden hope at the upcoming SEA Games and continental tournaments. Tiên will compete against the world’s leading swimmers in the women’s 200m individual medley and is expected to achieve her highest career result.

6. Weightlifter Trịnh Văn Vinh

Trịnh Văn Vinh, 28, has been one of the strongest weightlifters in Việt Nam. He has been a champion in many competitions, including the SEA Games, Asian Championships, Asian Games, World Cup, and World Championships. He was banned for doping violations for four years in 2019 and returned to competition in 2023, winning a world championships bronze. A bronze at the Asian Championship and a sixth-place finish at the World Cup earlier this year brought Vinh to the Olympics.

7. Canoeist Nguyễn Thị Hương

Nguyễn Thị Hương started her sporting life as a wrestler but later moved to canoeing, her true passion. Debuting internationally at the 31st SEA Games on home soil, Hương made a big impact with five golds. She continued to shine at the 32nd Games with three golds in traditional boat racing events. In April, Hương, 23, secured a C1 200m event silver at the Asian Championship, an Olympic qualifier, making her the first Vietnamese canoeist to compete in the Olympics.

8. Rower Phạm Thị Huệ

Phạm Thị Huệ will be the oldest Vietnamese Olympian in Paris at age 34. Previously, the multi-time SEA Games champion qualified for the Olympics twice but was not selected due to the rules and national selection. Huệ, who bagged silver and bronze in two recent Asian Games, qualified for the Olympics for the third time after her fifth-place finish at the Asian zonal qualification in April.

9. Badminton player Nguyễn Thùy Linh

Nguyễn Thùy Linh, 26, has collected numerous titles in her career, including the Nepal International, Mongolia International, Italian International, Bangladesh International Challenge, and Vietnam International Challenger. The world No 26 will enjoy her second Olympics in a row after collecting enough points for the Race to Paris in April. After a recent draw, Linh is expected to achieve a better result than her group round finish at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

10. Badminton player Lê Đức Phát

Lê Đức Phát, 26, has played badminton for nearly a decade. He has risen as one of the national leading players and earned international titles at the Pakistan International Series 2017 and Tajikistan International 2023, along with silvers at Vietnam International 2023 and Apacs Kazakhstan Future Series 2023. His best result in 2024 was a title at the Uganda International Challenge and a semi-final berth at the Kazakhstan International Challenge.

11. Boxer Võ Thị Kim Ánh

Võ Thị Kim Ánh was not initially considered a top candidate for an Olympic spot, as she won only one gold at an open tournament in Thailand in 2022. However, the 27-year-old fighter took her rare chance to shine at the first Olympic qualification in March. Ánh gradually advanced to the semi-finals, where she beat Islem Ferchichi of Tunisia and qualified for Paris 2024’s women’s 54kg class.

12. Boxer Hà Thị Linh

Hà Thị Linh confirmed her boxing talent with titles from the SEA Games and an Asian bronze. Her career was interrupted for years when she got married and had a baby. Her comeback was in doubt, but she made a remarkable return, dominating the National Sports Games in 2018 and 2022 and winning gold at the 32nd SEA Games. She secured her Olympic ticket at the second boxing qualification round last month after winning 4-1 over Finnish Vilma Viitannen in the women’s 60kg class bronze-medal match.

13. Archer Lê Quốc Phong

Lê Quốc Phong, 24, has had a brilliant 2024, winning the national championship and setting two new records. He became the first Vietnamese archer to be in the Incheon World Cup’s top four in April and repeated his great achievement at the Antalya World Cup in June. This result made him an Olympian for the first time in his career.

14. Archer Đỗ Thị Ánh Nguyệt

Đỗ Thị Ánh Nguyệt lost all hope of a second Olympics after all qualifications were over and her results were not good enough. However, she received good news in late June after the World Archers announced she was one of the last qualifiers based on accumulated results from different tournaments. The SEA Games and Asian champion will compete in individual and mixed pair events with teammate Lê Quốc Phong.

15. Judoka Hoàng Thị Tình

Hoàng Thị Tình is a well-known face in local and regional competitions as she excels in both judo and kurash. She was picked to receive strong support to earn an Olympic ticket after the national top hope Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thủy could not compete due to injury. Tình, 29, focused solely on training and competing throughout the first six months of 2024 to collect points for her world ranking. Her hard work paid off when she won gold at the Lima Panamerican Open 2024 last month, earning her an official berth.

16. Runner Trần Thị Nhi Yến

Trần Thị Nhi Yến is also an Olympic wildcard athlete. The 18-year-old was nominated and approved by World Athletics after Việt Nam failed to secure an official spot. Despite only a few years of running, Yến has become Việt Nam’s best runner in the 100m and 200m events. She is expected to bring the country back to the SEA Games’ top podiums in the next editions and become a continental medallist in the near future after winning silver at the 2024 Asian U20 Athletics Championship. VNS