Swimmer Anh Vien wins silver at Asian tourney
(VOV) - Nguyen Thi Anh Vien has performed well at the current Dubai Asian Swimming Championships, clinching a silver medal on November 18 after pocketing a bronze three days earlier.
The 16-year-old girl achieved an impressive result in the women’s 200m backstroke qualifying round, finishing third in 2’.15’’.05, just behind Marie Kamizuka of Japan ( 2:13.’45) and Bai Anqi of China (2:14.85).
In the final round, the Can Tho city-born athlete overtook Marie Kamikuza in the last meters and touched the finish line in 2:12.47, breaking the national record.
On November 16, Vien came third in the women’s 400 medley event with a time of 4:48.23.
She is the first Vietnamese athlete who has won medals at the tournament, and these are Vietnam’s first medals at Asian swimming championships.
Her teammates Hoang Quy Phuoc, Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen, and Tran Duy Khoi have not yet carried off any medals.
Vien revealed her talent after winning six gold, three silver and two bronze medals, and broke two Southeast Asian records at a regional swimming championships for age groups in June 2011.
Five months later, she bagged home two silver medals at the 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia.
In 2012, the young athlete took five gold medals at the 2012 Southeast Asian Swimming Championships held in Singapore in June, and got a ticket to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Vien and her teammate Hoang Quy Phuoc are among young talents under a special training programme to prepare for the upcoming Asian Games (ASIAD).