19 year old Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien took home seven gold and five silver medals from the Asian Age Group Championships which were held in Bangkok from October 1st-4th. Vien won gold in the 100, 200 and 1500 freestyle, the 200 and 400 IM as well as the 50 backstroke and 100 butterfly. Her silver medal haul included the 400 and 800 freestyle, 100 and 200 backstroke and the 200 butterfly.
Vien has put up some outstanding results over the last two years, truly historical performances for a Vietnamese swimmer. She won the gold in the 200 IM at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and went on to win Vietnams first swimming medal at the Asian Games taking home bronze in both the 200 backstroke and 400 IM. Because of those achievements she earned Vietnam’s Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row.
Earlier this year at the Moscow World Cup she earned a silver in the 400 IM and a bronze in the 200 IM. Vien decided to bypass the World Cup stops in Asia to prepare for both the Asian Age Group Championships and the upcoming World Military Games which go from October 7th-10th.
Vien was not the only Vietnamese athlete to come home from Bangkock with multiple gold medals. Tran Duy Khoi and Huynh Man Dat won three gold each while Nguyen Diep Phuong Tram earned two.
31 countries participated in the 8th Asian Age Group Championships. The event ran with three age groups; 18 and over, 15-17 and 14 and under.