As the world's attention converges on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, discussions are often overshadowed by concerns like the pollution of the Seine River or political unrest in France.
Amid these less cheerful news, let's shift the focus to 5 aspects of Vietnam's participation in the Olympics through the years.
Historical Participation
Since reunification in 1975, Vietnam has competed in 11 Summer Olympics, excluding the 1976 and 1984 Games due to economic and political reasons. However, the country has never participated in the Winter Olympics.
First Medals
Vietnam clinched its first Olympic medal in 2000 when Taekwondo athlete Trần Hiếu Ngân secured a silver. The highlight came in 2016 at the Rio de Janeiro Games when shooter Hoàng Xuân Vinh won Vietnam's first-ever Olympic gold medal.
Overall, Vietnam has amassed a total of five medals across the Games: one gold, three silvers, and one bronze.
Veteran Athlete
The oldest among the 16-member Vietnamese team at the Paris Olympics is rower Phạm Thị Huệ from Quảng Bình. Born in 1990, Huệ has a remarkable track record, including seven SEA Games gold medals and podium finishes at the ASIAN Games.
Despite qualifying for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, she gave up her spot due to a rule limiting each country to one female rower per event. In April 2024, she finally secured her place for the Paris Olympics.
Young Prodigies
The youngest athletes from Vietnam at the Paris Olympics are swimmers Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên and runner Trần Thị Nhi Yến, both born in 2005 and hailing from Long An.
Vo Thi My Tien began her sports career at the age of 10 and appeared at the SEA Games 30 when she was not yet 14 years old. In 2020, she gained attention by consecutively winning Gold medals and breaking the records of her senior Nguyen Thi Anh Vien in two national-level competitions. To date, My Tien has participated in the SEA Games three times, ASIAD once, and competed in the World Swimming Championships once. In June 2024, she was selected by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) as the Vietnamese athlete to receive a special qualification spot for the Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, Tran Thi Nhi Yen was originally recruited into the Long An provincial volleyball talent team but found her calling in sprint events. After just six months of training at the National Sports Training Center 2, Nhi Yen won a Gold medal in the 100m and a Silver medal in the 200m, surprising sports experts. To date, she has an impressive record with 5 Gold medals in national-level competitions, 2 SEA Games medals, and a Silver medal at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships.
Resilient Mother
Boxer Hà Thị Linh, known as the "courageous mother of two" in Vietnam's boxing circles, represents a story of remarkable resilience. Beginning her boxing career in middle school, Linh has been actively competing for nearly two decades.
To date, Ha Thi Linh is Vietnam's top boxer in weight categories from 60kg and above, with dozens of Gold medals in national competitions and 2 Gold medals in the 27th and 32nd SEA Games. In June 2024, she won a 4-1 victory in the second round of Olympic qualifiers (60kg weight category), securing an official spot to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
