Brian Jeffrey
During the women’s road cycling event, Vietnamese cyclist Nguyen Thi That, despite her impressive credentials as a three-time Asian champion, finished 73rd, a considerable 11 minutes and 24 seconds behind the winner. This outcome underscores the notable disparity between her performance and that of her world-class counterparts.
With Nguyen Thi That’s participation concluded, Vietnam now places its remaining hopes on two upcoming athletes: Trinh Van Vinh in weightlifting and Nguyen Thi Huong in canoeing.
Trinh Van Vinh is scheduled to compete in the men’s under-61kg weightlifting category on August 7. The following day, Nguyen Thi Huong will partake in the women’s single kayak 200m heats.
Among these athletes, Trinh Van Vinh represents Vietnam’s last chance for a medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Following his qualification by securing the 6th position with a 294kg lift, Van Vinh now aims to surpass the 300kg mark to contend for a medal, presenting a formidable challenge given his current form.
While Vietnam faces the possibility of exiting the Olympics without a medal for the second time, neighboring Southeast Asian nations bask in their medal achievements, including gold medals.
Notably, Filipino athlete Carlos Yulo claimed a second gold medal for the Philippines in the vault event with remarkable scores, following his initial gold in floor exercise. Thai badminton player Kunlavut Vitidsarn secures a silver, positioning him for a potential gold, and Indonesian shuttler Gregoria Mariska Tunjung clinches a bronze due to her opponent’s withdrawal.
Looking ahead, Thailand anticipates more medals in taekwondo and weightlifting while Indonesia and the Philippines still have promising contenders at the Paris Olympics.
Comparing past performances at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Vietnam remained without any medals. In contrast, the Philippines achieved 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze, ranking 50th, while Thailand and Malaysia secured 1 gold each, positioned 59th and 74th respectively.
