Vietnam’s medal drought continues at the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking the country’s second consecutive Games without a podium finish.
The nation’s hopes of sporting glory were dashed on Thursday afternoon when canoeist Nguyen Thi Huong, the last Vietnamese athlete competing in Paris, failed to qualify for the final round.
Earlier on Tuesday, athletes and coaches from the shooting, archery, and badminton teams returned to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, exiting quietly and swiftly, a stark contrast to the fanfare usually associated with Olympic participants.
The absence of enthusiastic fans at the airport reflected the overall sentiment of Vietnamese supporters, who expressed disappointment and criticism towards the team’s performance. However, international readers of Tuoi Tre News offered a different perspective, commending the athletes’ efforts and providing words of encouragement.
Ton Anh, a Tuoi Tre reader, attributed the national team’s lack of success to the country’s ‘credit mania,’ especially at the biennial Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, where Vietnam has consistently performed well. This sentiment was shared by another reader, Thanh, who felt that local sports officials, coaches, and athletes have become complacent with their regional triumphs.
Many readers suggested that Vietnam should shift its focus from dominating the SEA Games to setting specific goals for each sport in every competition, with some proposing a concentrated effort on weightlifting and shooting, where Vietnamese athletes have a higher chance of success.
In contrast to the local criticism, foreign readers applauded the athletes’ dedication. Edward Neil and Patricia Thomas, both international readers, emphasized that giving their best was an achievement in itself, regardless of medal tallies. Thomas also shared her experience of witnessing a Vietnamese rower’s determined efforts in Paris, a sport that is still developing in the country.
Marko Artiaga, a lecturer at Ton Duc Thang University, expressed gratitude to the athletes for representing Vietnam, and Peter Sprake acknowledged the time and dedication required for Vietnam to become competitive on a global scale.
The Paris 2024 Olympics have highlighted the contrasting fortunes of Vietnamese athletes on the world stage. While they have consistently excelled at the SEA Games, with Vietnam finishing at the top of the medal table in 2022 and 2023, their performance at the Olympics has been less remarkable. Vietnam has participated in the Summer Olympics 17 times since 1952, winning five medals, with the most recent one coming in 2016.
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| Vietnamese weightlifter Trinh Van Vinh unable to lift the weight in the men’s 61kg event at Paris 2024 Olympics, August 7, 2024. Photo: Reuters |
SEA Games Success
Vietnam’s sports delegation has been a consistent medalist at the SEA Games, finishing in the top three since 2003. At the most recent edition in 2023, they topped the medal table with an impressive haul of 355 medals, including 136 golds.
Olympic Challenges
Despite their regional dominance, Vietnam’s performance at the Olympics has been less impressive. Since their first participation in 1952, they have won a total of five medals, with a notable gap in recent years. The last medal was earned in 2016, and the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics resulted in no medals for the Vietnamese contingent.
As the Paris 2024 Olympics continue, Vietnam’s neighbors in Southeast Asia have enjoyed varying levels of success. The Philippines currently leads the region with four medals, while Indonesia and Thailand have also added multiple medals to their tallies. Malaysia has secured two bronzes, and other countries in the region, including Singapore and Cambodia, are yet to make their mark on the medal table.
In the context of Southeast Asia, Thailand and Indonesia have historically been the most successful at the Olympics, with Thailand securing 40 medals and Indonesia close behind with 38. The Philippines and Vietnam follow, but with a significant gap in medal counts.
With the Paris 2024 Olympics ongoing, Vietnam’s 16 athletes competed in 11 sports, aiming to bring home a medal. However, their efforts fell short, and the nation will have to wait for future editions to add to their Olympic medal tally.
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