The Failing Medal Haul: Vietnam’s Olympic Woes and the Leadership Vacuum
Slim Prospects Despite an impressive medal haul at the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi in 2022, Vietnam’s sporting chief, Tran Duc Phan, had tempered expectations for the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and the Paris 2024 Olympics. And those modest goals proved well-founded. At the Asian Games, Vietnam managed just three golds, while at the Olympics, young shooter Trinh Thu Vinh carried the nation’s hopes. The 24-year-old reached two finals, but a medal proved elusive, highlighting the gap to the world’s best. Vietnamese shooter Trinh Thu Vinh takes aim at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Photo: Reuters Vietnam’s other athletes were far off the pace. Swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang, a multiple SEA Games gold medalist, failed to make an impact, while weightlifter Trinh Van Vinh couldn’t even lift a weight successfully. Badminton players and boxers also fell short. Vietnam sent its smallest team to Paris since 2012, and the results showed a nation struggling to compete on the biggest ...