Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang wins 2nd gold at Asian Aquatics Championships

Hoang, who had earlier won the 1,500m freestyle for his first continental title, clocked seven minutes 57.58 seconds on Wednesday to take gold in the 800m event.

Uzbekistan’s Ilya Sibirtsev finished second in 8:00.37, followed by China’s Xu Haibo, who took bronze with a time of 8:02.34.

The 24-year-old Hoang’s performance in the 800m was significantly faster than his result at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he posted 8:08.39.

However, it fell short of his personal best of 7:49.67.

The double gold marks a historic achievement for Vietnamese swimming and highlights Hoang’s strong form and preparation heading into the next Olympic cycle.

This year’s championships, hosted in India, are missing top-tier swimmers from China, Japan, and South Korea, which may have impacted the level of competition.