Swimmer Vien honoured as Best Athlete of 2017

Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien grabbed her fourth Best Athlete of the Year award after winning a vote by hundreds of journalists and sports aficionados, on December 28th in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
December 29, 2017 | 10:46

(VNF) - Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien grabbed her fourth Best Athlete of the Year award after winning a vote by hundreds of journalists and sports aficionados, on December 28th in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The 21-year-old topped the poll with 1,560 points, just 21 points more than her nearest rival weightlifter Thach Kim Tuan (1,539 points) and runner Le Tu Chinh came third winning 1,274 points.

Swimmer Vien honoured as Best Athlete of 2017

Nguyen Thi Anh Vien wins her fourth award for Best Athlete of the Year after swimming to success in 2017. (Source: NDO)

Vien convinced voters, about 200 journalists, with her great performance at different competition throughout the year.

Apart from medals that she took in the United States (U.S.) where she is training, Vien was gold-hope of Vietnam in all sport festivals and she made it.

The girl brought home two golds, one silver and set a new record at the Asian Indoor Games and Martial Arts (AIMAG) in September in Turkmenistan after eight top podium finishes along with three records at the Malaysian Southeast Asian Games in August.

It was Vien’s strong comeback after failing to win the award in 2016 to Olympic winning marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh. Earlier, she dominated the category for three years in a row from 2013 to 2015.

Lifter Thach Kim Tuan, 23, was considered the heaviest contender to win his first award of career after earning three gold medals from the World Weightlifting Championships in the men’s 56kg category in the U.S. last month.

Earlier he grabbed a title from the Asian Indoor Games and Martial Arts (AIMAG) in September in Turkmenistan and another one at the Malaysian Southeast Asian Games in August.

Swimmer Vien honoured as Best Athlete of 2017

Le Tu Chinh, the youngest member of Vietnam's track and field team, impresses strongly with three gold medals in Kuala Lumpur. (Source: NDO)

Chinh, 19, is a new rising sprinter but shone at her SEA Games debut with a hat-trick and one record. She also brought home one AIMAG silver and two bronzes from the Asian Grand Prix Series.

Other athletes in the top 10 were gymnast Le Thanh Tung, chess master Le Quang Liem, runner Nguyen Thi Huyen, and long jumper Bui Thi Thu Thao, in addition to wushu martial artist Duong Thuy Vi, swimmer Nguyen Huu Kim Son and weightlifter Trinh Van Vinh.

In the Best Coach of the Year pool, football trainer Mai Duc Chung topped the list of five nominees with 593 points.

Chung was successful in helping the national women’s team to win the gold medal at the Malaysian SEA Games. This is the fifth time Vietnam have claimed the title after winning gold medals in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2009, equalling Thailand’s record.

He also played key role guiding the national men’s squad to earn a slot in the 2019 Asian Cup finals.

Weightlifting coach Huynh Huu Chi came second, followed by swimming coach Dang Anh Tuan.

Swimmer Vien honoured as Best Athlete of 2017

Lifter Le Van Cong captures the gold medal and breaks the world record in the men’s 49kg category at the World Para Powerlifting Championships in Mexico. (Photo: Internet)

Powerlifter Le Van Cong concluded his great year with the award for Best Athlete with Disabilities of 2017. He score 880 points to claim his third time receiving the award following the years of 2015 and 2016.

Swimmer Vo Thanh Tung, the 2014 winner, finished second and powerlifter Nguyen Binh An was third.

With two athletes in the top three of the Best Athletes with Disabilities, coach Nguyen Hong Phuc, took his the Coach of Best Athletes with Disabilities award this year. It was his third one in a row.

Outstanding athletes to be honoured

According to the Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration Le Thi Hoang Yen, the Vietnamese sports have recorded remarkable results over the past year.

Notably, Vietnamese athletes won 425 gold, 301 silver and 319 bronze medals this year, the Vietnam Sports Administration said.

Of the gold medals, 46 were in world championships, 64 in Asia and 315 in Southeast Asia.

Specifically, at the SEA Games 29 held in Malaysia, the Vietnamese delegation secured 59 gold, 47 silver and 55 bronze medals, ranking third on the medal tally.

More than 90 per cent of the gold medals seized by Vietnam this season belong to the Olympic sports category.

Of the figure, track and field athletes brought home 17 out of the 59 gold medals, followed by the swimmers who won 10 gold medals, she added.

The awards are jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, and the Vietnam Olympic Committee.

The annual awards, the 38th of its kind have become an indispensable part of the sporting calendar.

The list of nominated athletes consists of outstanding athletes, coaches, and excellent disabled athletes and coaches with many familiar names such as Nguyen Thi Anh Vien (swimmer), Thach Kim Tuan (weightlifting), Duong Thuy Vi (Wushu), Nguyen Thi Huyen (track and field)./.

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