Huy Hoang: 'I want to be the first Vietnamese athlete to reach the top 8 at the Olympics'

After concluding the 19th Asian Games with a bronze medal in the 400m freestyle, Vietnam's top swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang is aiming for a big goal at the 2024 Olympics.

Swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang won a double bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games in the 400m and 800m freestyle events. — Swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang won two bronze medals at the 19th Asian Games in the 400m and 800m freestyle events.

- The bronze medal in the 400m freestyle could be considered a surprise, as it's not his strongest event. How does Huy Hoang feel about that?

- I am very happy and surprised because I couldn't believe I could win a medal in this event. I did it and I want to dedicate this medal to my teachers and experts - those who went through many hardships with me over the past four months to achieve today's result.

So, what strategy did you use to conquer this distance?

- I swam to conserve energy and then sprinted in the final stretch. In the last 100 meters, I saw my opponent was close behind, so I pushed myself to try harder. I looked over at lane five (Khiew Hoe Yean) and saw that my opponent was getting weaker, so I thought I could overtake her even more. When my hands touched the water, I knew I had won the bronze medal, so I was very happy.

- After missing out on a medal in the 1,500m freestyle, Huy Hoang admitted to feeling pressure to achieve results. How did he overcome that to win bronze medals in the 800m freestyle and 400m freestyle?

- When I started the 1,500m freestyle race, I had many thoughts running through my head. These included how to defend my previous silver medal, how to win a medal for the Vietnamese sports delegation, and how to meet everyone's expectations. I received so much love and support that I thought even more.

Without any achievements, I started to think that I needed to put all those worries aside and compete well. If I didn't let go of them, I would fail in the remaining two events as well. In the end, I succeeded. After swimming the 800m freestyle yesterday, I felt tired, but I encouraged myself to just give it my all. I thank my parents, friends, and fans for their support and encouragement during the most difficult times.

Huy Hoang is the most successful Vietnamese swimmer at the Asian Games with one silver medal and three bronze medals.

- Following his success at this year's competition, does Huy Hoang consider changing his strategy to focus on this distance as well?

- This bronze medal was beyond my wildest expectations, but I haven't changed my goals. My focus remains on the 800m and 1500m freestyle. When I swim long distances, I can absolutely increase my speed for shorter distances. People find it strange, but we don't. In fact, if I win a medal in the 400m freestyle, that's great, but if not, it's okay too.

Before the competition, I didn't think I could do it because the shorter the distance, the stronger the competitors. Today is my last swimming competition, marking the end of my second Asian Games. It's truly a fierce competition. In Olympic sports like swimming, Japan, South Korea, and China are all highly developed. Vietnamese athletes are happy if they get to train, otherwise they just try to practice at home. The conditions are hard to compare.

- What is Huy Hoang's next goal?

- I achieved the Olympic A qualifying standard for 2024 in the 800m freestyle. It's a great honor because it guarantees me a place in Paris, France next year. I will continue to strive for the A standard in the 1500m, having already achieved the B standard. My goal remains unchanged from the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. I want to become the first Vietnamese swimmer to reach the top 8, which is the final round. Previously, Anh Vien's best performance was finishing ninth in the qualifying round.

Hieu Luong

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