Vietnam’s top swimmer Anh Vien leaves Rio empty-handed

Vietnam’s swimming star Nguyen Thi Anh Vien has ended her Rio 2016 campaign after failing to progress beyond the heats in all three of her events, with the latest being the 200m individual medley on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old finished seventh in Heat 3 of the event, clocking 2:16.20, six seconds slower than the winner, Dirado Maya, of the U.S. Only the top 16 swimmers from five heats advanced to the semifinals.

The result was way below Vien’s personal best of 2:12.33, which she achieved at the 2015 FINA World Cup in Moscow last August.

At Rio 2016, Vien was also eliminated from the preliminary rounds of both the 400m individual medley and 400m freestyle events.

Also on Monday, Vietnamese rowing duo Ta Thanh Huyen and Ho Thi Ly were the last to reach the finish line during the lightweight double sculls event. The girls clocked 7:29.91, 33 seconds adrift of the Dutch winners Ilse Paulis and Maaike Head. The pair were the only Vietnamese rowing competitors at Rio.

Earlier Vietnamese fencer Nguyen Thi Le Dung was easily beaten 1-3 by South Korean Jim Jiyeon in the Round of 32 in the women’s individual sabre event.

All eyes are now on shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh, who will compete in his second competition at Rio on Wednesday, in the men’s 50m pistol.

Vinh grabbed a historic gold medal for Vietnam on Sunday in the men’s 10m air pistol, and is hoping to extend his miraculous story tomorrow.

At London 2012, the 42-year-old Vietnamese shooter was almost able to snatch the 50m pistol bronze after being only 0.1 point behind the second-runner up then, China’s Wang Zhiwei.

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