Vietnam, October 3: The swimming and diving competition for the 2026 National Games has just concluded at the Phu Tho Swimming and Diving Club (Ho Chi Minh City), with the highlight being the comeback after 4 years of swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien . At this warm-up event for the 2026 National Games, Anh Vien competed representing the National Defense Sports Center 4. Notably, the 30-year-old swimmer registered to compete in 4 events and won all 4 gold medals.
On the final day of competition, Nguyen Thi Anh Vien competed in two events: the women's 200m freestyle and the women's 200m individual medley. In the 200m freestyle final, the swimmer from Can Tho competed against six opponents. She finished far ahead of the other athletes, finishing first with a time of 2 minutes 06 seconds 21. Afterward, Anh Vien participated in the 200m individual medley final. This event only had three athletes registered to compete, and the former number one Vietnamese swimmer also easily surpassed her opponents, finishing first with a time of 2 minutes 20 seconds 85.
In the two previous days of competition, Anh Vien won gold medals in the women's 200m backstroke and 100m backstroke, completing the tournament with 4 gold medals. While she consistently achieved gold medals, coaches noted that her performance has declined significantly compared to her peak. This is understandable, as she has been away from professional training for four years.
According to coaches' predictions, Nguyen Thi Anh Vien will face fierce competition from rivals at the National Sports Games in November. This is because most of the strong athletes will not participate in the pre-National Sports Games tournaments. It is likely that Anh Vien will choose a few suitable events with a chance to win gold medals, instead of competing in as many events as she did during her peak. At her peak, Anh Vien participated in 21 events (15 individual, 6 relay) and won all 21 gold medals at the national championships.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
