SEA Games 33: Day 3 of competition - Vietnamese sports expect a 'shower of gold medals' in key disciplines.

On December 12th, Vietnamese athletes entered their third day of competition at the 33rd SEA Games with a packed schedule in a series of key sports such as swimming, athletics, canoeing and rowing, gymnastics, and martial arts. This is predicted to be another "golden day" for the Vietnamese sports delegation as many of their strongest events reach the finals.

Vietnamese athletes competing in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay. (Illustrative photo: Minh Quyet/TTXVN)

At the swimming pool complex in Bangkok, Thailand, Vietnamese swimmers will compete from the qualifying rounds to the finals in several important events: women's 100m freestyle, men's 400m individual medley, men's 1500m freestyle, women's 400m freestyle, and men's 4x100m freestyle relay. With consistent performance and high spirits, the swimming team is expected to maintain its winning streak and contribute more valuable gold medals.

The competitive atmosphere was also intense at the Suphachalasai Stadium, where Vietnamese athletics competed in a series of key events: men's 400m, women's 400m, men's high jump, women's shot put, and women's 100m hurdles. The focus was on two athletes from Ha Tinh province: Le Ngoc Phuc competing in the men's 400m final at 5:00 PM and Nguyen Thi Ngoc in the women's 400m final at 5:45 PM. Le Ngoc Phuc, a runner, won a silver medal at the 31st SEA Games, while Nguyen Thi Ngoc won a bronze medal at the 32nd SEA Games. Both athletes are in top form and are expected to spring surprises and bring home gold medals for Vietnamese athletics.

Vietnamese canoeing and rowing teams also entered the competition day with high hopes. Teams competed in the qualifying and final rounds of the 200m race, with many events considered to have a strong chance of winning medals, especially the women's double sculls and men's quadruple sculls – events that have been strong points for the Vietnamese team in recent Games.

The martial arts group continues to be a "gold mine" as Karate, Judo, Ju-jitsu, Boxing, and Taekwondo all enter decisive matches. In Judo, many outstanding athletes such as Nguyen Hoang Thanh, Nguyen Hai Ba, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, and Le Huynh Tuong Vi are all competing in the finals. In addition, a large number of Ju-jitsu ne-waza fighters have also reached the gold medal contention group. Vietnamese Karate is expected to make a significant impact today with the appearance of Hoang Thi My Tam – an athlete from Ha Tinh.

At the Gymnastics Arena, five finals will take place consecutively, promising high-level technical performances. Meanwhile, badminton, shooting, table tennis, sepak takraw, climbing, and volleyball will continue with qualifying and semi-final rounds. In shooting, Vietnamese shooter Nguyen Van Toan will compete in the crucial event.

In women's futsal, the match between Vietnam and Indonesia at 1:30 PM is considered crucial in the race for medals, as both teams are fiercely competing in their group.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/sea-games-33-ngay-thi-dau-thu-3-the-thao-viet-nam-ky-vong-mua-vang-o-cac-mon-mui-nhon-20251212090043311.htm