Who will bring home the first SEA Games 33 gold medal for Vietnam?

The first medal, or more specifically the first gold medal, is always very meaningful to the sports delegations participating in the SEA Games. So at the 33rd SEA Games, which sport promises to "open the door" for Vietnam?

Swimming is one of the sports that promises to bring home the first gold medal - Photo: QUY LUONG

In most SEA Games, athletics has always been the leading "gold mine" of Vietnamese sports. However, at the 33rd SEA Games, athletics only started competing on December 11, the second official competition day of the event.

Meanwhile, swimming athletes will compete from December 10, promising to bring "golden rain" to Vietnamese sports on the first official competition day.

On day 10, swimming will take place in the men's 100m backstroke, men's 100m freestyle, women's 200m butterfly, men's 200m individual medley, women's 50m breaststroke and women's 4x100m freestyle relay.

The qualifying swimming rounds will take place in the morning of December 10, before the finals from 6pm the same day.

It is difficult for Vietnam to hope for gold medals in the women's 50m breaststroke, women's 200m butterfly and women's 4x100m freestyle relay. Expectations will therefore be focused on the men's 100m backstroke, men's 100m freestyle and men's 200m individual medley.

Among these, the 200m individual medley race is considered "only" for Tran Hung Nguyen. Since emerging at the 2019 SEA Games, Hung Nguyen has won gold medals at 3 consecutive SEA Games in this event.

This year, the race may become even more dramatic as Nguyen Quang Thuan (Anh Vien's younger brother) is growing up, showing the potential to surpass his senior.

The men's 100m freestyle is also an event that Vietnam hopes to win a medal in, with the stable performance of Vietnamese-American swimmer Luong Jeremie. However, the chance of winning a gold medal is quite low because Singapore is stable in this event.

In addition to swimming, badminton, chess, canoeing, esports, jujitsu, petanque, taekwondo, cycling and bowls will also have medal events on December 10.

Among these, canoeing has always been Vietnam's "gold mine" at the SEA Games. At the 31st SEA Games at home, Vietnam won 8 gold medals out of 19 events.

Athlete Nguyen Thi Huong is a canoeing record holder - Photo: BUI LUONG

In particular, there will be two finals in the women's singles 500m and women's doubles 500m on December 10. Among them, athlete Nguyen Thi Huong won the women's singles 500m at the 31st SEA Games at home.

Also in this SEA Games, Nguyen Thi Huong created an impressive record when she won a total of 5 gold medals, including 3 individual gold medals and 2 team gold medals.

As planned, the canoeing finals on December 10-12 will take place from 3pm. Therefore, canoeing can completely become the "opening" sport for Vietnam at the 33rd SEA Games.

In addition, taekwondo - with 6 poomsae performance events competing until the final on December 10, also promises to become a "gold mine" for Vietnam.

At the 2023 SEA Games, Vietnam won 2 gold medals out of 8 poomsae events in taekwondo. The taekwondo events on December 10 will have their finals at 2 p.m., earlier than the canoeing.

However, host Thailand is also very strong in taekwondo, including both forms and sparring (kyorugi). And at the SEA Games, host countries are always somewhat "favored" in forms, which are more emotional.

Therefore, the ability to win gold medals in taekwondo's martial arts events is not as clear as in canoeing or swimming - sports that rely on parameters.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ai-se-mang-ve-hcv-sea-games-33-dau-tien-cho-viet-nam-20251206200532046.htm