Vietnam pins biggest Olympic medal hope on weightlifting, swimming

Vietnam is pinning its biggest hope of bagging home 2016 Olympic Rio medal on weightlifter Thach Kim Tuan and swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, local officials and experts told Xinhua on Tuesday.

   The 21-year-old weightlifter Thach Kim Tuan from the central Binh Thuan province currently holds two records set up at the 2014 Junior World Weightlifting Championships (snatch: 135 kg and total: 296kg), an official of the Vietnam Bodybuilding and Weightlifting Federation said, adding that the young man is among favorites at the 56-kg category at 2016 Olympic Rio.

   Many sports experts and fans also pin great Olympic medal hope on Nguyen Thi Anh Vien who won unprecedented eight golds, and one silver and one bronze, and set eight records at the 28th Southeast Asia Games, the first-ever such instance in Vietnam's sporting history. Her records at the games exceed three A standards of the world championships for women's 400-meter freestyle, women's 200-meter individual medley and women's 400-meter individual medley events.

   To date, three Vietnamese athletes have officially qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games, including swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien and two marksmen Hoang Xuan Vinh and Tran Quoc Cuong. Track-and-field athlete Nguyen Thi Huyen has already met two A standards for Olympic Rio, but she has yet to be officially given the entry berth.  

   Vietnam is aiming to win 16-18 berths for the Olympic Games in 2016 in Brazil, according to the countrys General Department of Sports and Physical Training.  Endi