Shining star: Nguyen Thi Anh Vien claims two golds and two records in the fourth day of Singapore SEA Games.

HA NOI (VNS) — Nguyen Thi Anh Vien continued her golden run at the SEA Games in Singapore with two record-setting gold medals titles on the fourth day yesterday.

The swimmer had no difficulty in winning the women's 200m butterfly race with a time of 2min 11.12sec, setting a new record at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.

Vien left Singapore's Quah Ting Wen, the host's favourite, who was left well behind from the very first 50m. The gap between Vien and the rest widened with every lap and she was by herself at the end.

Just an hour and a half later, the 19-year-old Vietnamese star won the 200m freestyle event, leaving others far behind to grab her sixth SEA Games gold medal with a time of 1:59.27, a new Games record, and Vien's seventh record. The old record of 2:00.57 was set by Singapore's Quah Ting Wen at the Vientiane Games in 2009.

Junkrajang Natthanan of Thailand came second, followed by Alkhaldi Jasmine of the Philippines.

Viet Nam's swimming contingent added a bronze later, in the men's 400m individual medley event.

Also yesterday, Viet Nam pocketed its second gold medal in athletics, with Nguyen Van Lai defending his title in the men's 500m with a time of 14:04.82, breaking the 22-year-old record of 14:08.97 by Ramachandran Murusamy of Malaysia in 1993.

"This is the best victory of my career. I can't believe that at the age of 31 I could record such an achievement," said Lai. "It is a worthy bonus for training hard at home in Ha Noi's 40oC temperatures.."

Long run: Nguyen Van Lai defends his title and set a new record in the men's 5,000m event. — VNS Photos Tuan Tu

"I had my own plan, running after Agus Prayogo for most of the time. It was only in the last 200m I sprinted to the finish line as fast as my rival could not catch up with me," said Lai, a soldier, who ran for about five hours per day in the last months prior to the Games.

Prayogo of Indonesia came second and Thai Namkhet Sanchai was at third.

In the billiards and snooker event, Tran Phi Hung took the first gold for Viet Nam in the men's 1 cushion carom, coming from behind to defeat Ma Minh Cam 100-92 in an all-Vietnamese final.

In gymnastics, Phan Thi Ha Thanh claimed her second crown in the women's vault, leaping beautifully to 13.984 points.

Later on, her teammate Dang Nam scored similar success in the men's rings with a score of 15.300 points. Pham Phuoc Hung, another Vietnamese came second with 14.033.

Vietnamese gymnasts have so far scored four golds and have opportunities to increase the number on the last day today as Thanh will compete in the beam and floor exercise events.

Her male teammates are expected to win in the horizontal bar, parallel bars and vault events.

Earlier in the day Truong Thi Phuong won the first gold medal for Viet Nam in canoeing, winning the women's 200m with a time of 51.456sec. Thiangkathok Orasa of Thailand came second, followed by Riska Andriyani of Indonesia.

The 16-year-old burst into tears after she won the title in her very first SEA Games, surpassing all expectations. She was not expected to be in top three.

After four days, Singapore are stable on the top of the medal tally with 52 golds. Thailand passed Viet Nam to stand second with 38 titles. Viet Nam are in third position with 33 golds.

East Timor finally found their first medal on Monday when boxer Borges Pereira Henrique Martins took a bronze in the men's welterweight division. — VNS