TÂY NINH — Swimmer Nguyễn Huy Hoàng has been awarded the title of Best Male Swimmer of 2024 at the Việt Nam Aquatics Awards Gala held on Tuesday in Tây Ninh Province, the first official award ceremony dedicated to coaches and athletes in aquatic sports.

This achievement is particularly significant for Hoàng, as he was the only male swimmer to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This year, he continued to excel by winning five gold medals, one silver and one bronze at the Asian Age Group Championships. In domestic competitions, he secured six gold medals, two bronze and broke four national records.

Looking ahead to 2025, Hoàng is expected to be a key contender for the Vietnamese swimming team in various international competitions, including the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.

Born into a family of six in Thanh Tiến Hamlet, Tuyên Hóa District, near the Gianh River in Quảng Bình Province, Hoàng is the youngest. At the age of just one, his parents took him out on a boat to catch fish. Villagers affectionately referred to him as 'the otter' due to his exceptional swimming skills and his dark complexion.

Hoàng joined the national junior swimming team at the age of 14 and quickly made his mark on the senior team. At the SEA Games 32 last year, he brought home three gold medals and one bronze. Previously, at the SEA Games 31, he won five golds and broke two SEA Games records.

In addition to his SEA Games success, Hoàng won a silver medal in the 1,500m freestyle event at ASIAD 18 in 2018. That same year, he earned a gold medal in the 800m freestyle at the Youth Olympics in Argentina. At ASIAD 19 last year, he clinched a bronze medal in the men's 800m freestyle.

In the women's category, Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên received honours for her outstanding performance, bringing home one gold, four silver and four bronze medals from the Asian Age Swimming Championship. In domestic events, Tiên impressed with a tally of 16 gold, two silver and seven bronze medals. Her continued success has earned her the nickname 'the new little mermaid' of Vietnamese swimming.

In the Best Young Swimmer category, Nguyễn Thúy Hiền claimed the women's title, while Dương Văn Hoàng Quy won the men's category. The Best Male Diver of the Year was awarded to Vũ Đặng Nhật Nam, and the Best Female Diver went to Cao Thị Duyên.

According to the Việt Nam Aquatic Sports Association (VASA), the Việt Nam Aquatics Awards will be held annually to promote the spirit of Vietnamese aquatic sports coaches and athletes. VNS