ASEAN Para Games: Another glut of gold medals for Vietnam

September 21 proved to be another successful day of competition for Vietnam’s swimming and athletics teams at the ongoing ninth ASEAN Para Games in Malaysia, as their athletes brought home eight additional gold medals.

Swimmer Vo Thanh Tung earns a hattrick of gold medals at the 2017 ASEAN Para Games.

Swimming favourite Vo Thanh Tung took the men’s 100m backstroke S5 crown, clocking a time of 1:26.77 and breaking the Games’ record of 1:36.80.

Tung repeated the same feat in the 50m freestyle S5 race, winning a gold medal and setting a new record with a time of 34.50 seconds.

Having won 200m freestyle S5 title earlier on September 19, the Can Tho-born swimmer has officially wrapped up his Para Games campaign in an extremely convincing fashion, claiming three gold medals and setting two new Games records in the three events that he competed in.

Vo Huynh Anh Khoa also completed a hattrick of gold medals in this year’s Games by winning the men’s 50m freestyle S9 crown, following his previous victories in the 50m butterfly S9 and 100m freestyle S9 events.

Female swimmer Trinh Thi Bich Nhu secured her second gold medal in Malaysia after finishing first in the 50m freestyle S7 race with a time of 34.43 seconds. Earlier yesterday, Nhu also triumphed in the 100m breaststroke SB event.

The athletics team contributed four gold medals to Vietnam’s tally, thanks to Kieu Minh Trung in the men’s javelin throw F43/44, Tran Van Nguyen in the men’s shot put F40/41, Truong Bich Van in the women’s discus throw F55 and Nguyen Thi Hai in the women’s shot put F56/57 category.

In addition, the Vietnamese athletes brought home another 12 silver – six in swimming, four in athletics, one in table tennis and one in chess – and 13 bronze medals – four in swimming, five in athletics and four in table tennis.

As of 5.30pm on September 21, Vietnam remained in fourth place in the medal count with 33 gold, 49 silver and 47 bronze medals.

Indonesia was top with 91 golds, followed by host Malaysia with 72 and Thailand with 44 golds.

(Source: NDO)