LookAtVietnam – Viet Nam are expecting to win more than one gold medal at the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Laos this December.

Top swimmer Nguyen Huu Viet is confident of winning the men’s 100m breaststroke, as he has done at the last two games.

Viet, who has been training for years in China, set the SEA Games’ record of 1min 2.17sec after breaking the old record set by Malaysian Elvin China in September 1999.

He is also hoping to win a gold medal in the men’s 200m breaststroke. At the recent World Swimming Championship in Italy, he recorded a time of 2:16.85 - 3.31 seconds faster than the time he set at the 24th SEA Games and 2 seconds faster than the SEA Games winner.

The other gold medal is expected to be won by backstroke swimmer Do Huy Long, who also competed in Italy.

Long recorded a time of 58.60sec in the 100m backstroke, which should secure him a medal if repeated in Laos.

The event’s current favourite is Victor Susuanto Glenn of Indonesia, who is the SEA Games defending champion. Glenn recorded a time of 58.29 at the world tournament.

Long is also hoping to win a medal in the 200m. Although he did not qualify for the final round of the men’s 200m backstroke at the world championships, he recorded a personal best time of 2:08.57. Last year’s SEA Games’ bronze medallist finished in 2:09.32.

Meanwhile, Vo Thai Nguyen, who has been training in China for the last four months, recorded a time of 55.37 in the 100m butterfly in Italy. Nguyen not only broke the national record set by late swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang in 2004 but beat last year’s SEA Games’ bronze medallist time of 55.59.

Nguyen could also do well in the 200m. He clocked a time of 2:03.55 in Italy.

Coach Dang Anh Tuan said he was delighted with his athletes’ performance in Italy and that preparations for the SEA Games were going well.

“My athletes are in heavy training. They swim from 7-8km per day, and their results are good. I believe that Viet can improve his time in the 200m breast-stroke,” Tuan said.

However, he said Long could be inconsistent.

“Long can swim 57sec in the 100m but his performance is not consistent. He gets nervous,” Tuan said.

“The nearer the tournament comes, the better his form. He needs to maintain that form,” he said.

“If we can boost his confidence, we will get at least a silver medal in this event.”

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News