Vietnam's top female swimmer aims for Olympics final

Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien aims to advance to the top eight at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, according to the Vietnam Aquatic Association (VAA).

Vien officially won her berth at the Games after grabbing two Standard As at the Asian Games in South Korea in October 2014. At the Incheon competitions, she bagged two bronze medals in the women's 400m medley and 200m backstroke events.

Vien, who is training in the United States, aims to pocket three to five other Standard As during her intensive training period during 2015-2016, local online VietnamNet Bridge reported Monday, quoting VAA general secretary Dinh Viet Hung as saying.

At the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil in 2016, Vien is expected to be one of the best eight athletes in up to two of her events, and she is encouraged to vie for a top-five position, said the association's official.

This year, the female swimmer's most important duty is to win at the 28th SEA Games in Singapore, besides taking part in national tournaments in the U.S. as well as international competitions.

Born in 1996 and a native of southern Can Tho province, Vien held many Vietnam's records and reached Olympic Selection Time three times in 2012. She competed in the 200m backstroke and the 400m individual medley finals of the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

At the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing (China), she won a gold medal in the 200m individual medley events, while at the 2014 Southeast Asian Championships in Singapore, she bagged nine golds in the 400m and 800m freestyle; 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke; 100m and 200m butterfly; and 200m and 400m individual medley events. Endi