Swimmer Hoàng, teammates to compete in world championships

Swimming

Swimmer Nguyễn Huy Hoàng will compete in the FINA World Championship in Hungary. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese swimmer Nguyễn Huy Hoàng has qualified for the FINA World Championship, which will be held in Hungary from June 18-July 3.

Hoàng qualified with an A standard result based on his SEA Games performance, meaning he qualifies directly for the competition.

His eight teammates, who all reached B standard, will also travel with him to the event.

The Budapest tournament will gather competitions for swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming and open water swimming.

Hoàng qualified with A standard in the men’s 400m and 1500m freestyle at the 31st SEA Games.

The Youth Olympic champion finished first in the 400m freestyle with a Games’ record time of 3:48.06, 0.9sec, higher than the minimum standard requirement of 3:48.15. He earlier won the 1,500m on 15:00.75, almost 4sec better than the regulated standard of 15:04.64. 

The 25-year-old also earned B standards in the 200m freestyle, 800m freestyle and 200m butterfly events.

He is one of only two Southeast Asian athletes meeting the A standard. The other is Teong Tzen Wei of Singapore, who qualified in the men’s 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle.

“I am working hard for the world championship. My results at the 31st SEA Games were good, but I still want to increase them,” Hoàng said.

“I hope to improve all of my techniques, especially those in starting and returning moves. My coaches also give me specific practising programmes to help me get higher results,” he said.

The Vietnamese team will depart for the world event on June 15.

After the world competition, Hoàng and three teammates Trần Hưng Nguyên, Phạm Thanh Bảo and Nguyễn Quang Thuấn will stay in Hungary for a training camp until September 11.

The 31st SEA Games was a successful tournament for the Vietnamese swimming team.

Competing without Nguyễn Thị Ánh Viên, who retired, the host athletes secured 11 golds, 11 silvers and three bronzes, as well as setting four new records.

The result far exceeded their initial target of eight golds, helping them place second in the medal tally behind Singapore (21 golds, 11 silvers and 12 bronzes). VNS