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Vietnamese swimming team puts a great effort in the 2023 World Aquatic Championship. (Photo: SGGP) |
The final day of the swimming category took place in Fukuoka, Japan. Ms. Le Thanh Huyen, the representative of the Vietnamese swimming team, informed that swimmers of the Vietnamese team have gained much experience and skills for the upcoming 19th ASIAD.
In the swimming competition of championship, the medalists from Asia are mostly swimmers from China, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong (China). However, Asian swimming teams preserved their core athletes to prepare for the 19th ASIAD.
The Vietnamese swimming team didn’t send Nguyen Huy Hoang to the current World Aquatics Championships because their focus is on the 19th ASIAD. Thus, the number-one male swimmer of Vietnam was sent to Hungary for training to be well-prepared for the tournament.
Vietnam is still looking forward to the results of the men's 800m and 1,500m freestyle categories at ASIAD. Five years ago, at the 18th ASIAD, Nguyen Huy Hoang was at the peak of his performance and won a silver medal in the men's 1,500m freestyle with a time of 15'01"63 and a bronze medal in the men's 800m freestyle with a time of 7'54"32.
In the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Nguyen Huu Kim Son of the Vietnamese national swimming team finished the men's 1,500m freestyle category with a time of 16'20"45, securing the 27th position overall. Mai Tran Tuan Anh participated in the men's 800m freestyle and achieved a time of 8'08"56, placing 32nd in the tournament.
Notably, there were no Asian swimmers in the finals of the men's 800m and 1,500m freestyle categories at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
During the tournament, Chinese male swimmer Fei Liwei competed in both qualifying rounds for the aforementioned categories but only achieved times of 14'57"50, ranking 12th in the world for the 1,500m freestyle, and 7'56"69 for the 800m freestyle, ranking 24th. In May, Fei Liwei participated in the Chinese National Championships, which took place in Hangzhou, China, and won gold in the 1,500m freestyle with a time of 14'46"59 and gold in the 800m freestyle with a time of 7'49"97.
According to the Vietnamese swimming team's coaching staff, Fei Liwei will be a strong opponent for Nguyen Huy Hoang.
According to experts, Fei Liwei has the potential to outperform the famous Sun Yang, who won four gold medals at the 18th ASIAD, including the 1,500m and 800m freestyle. Moreover, Fei Liwei is only 20 years old, giving him significant youthful strength.
The performances of Chinese, South Korean, and Japanese swimmers at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships provided the Vietnamese team with valuable preparation insights. The ace card to be present at the 19th ASIAD remains the tactical secret of each swimming team. Nevertheless, by witnessing Fei Liwei's performance, the Vietnamese swimming team understands the challenges they will face in the men's 1,500m and 800m freestyle categories.
