Fearless: Viet Nam's Nguyen Thi Thuy (right) in action at the Singapore National Stadium in the Women's 200m Final. — Photo aseanparagames2015.com

SINGAPORE — (VNS) Vietnamese athletes topped the ranking at the swimming event with six gold medals and three Games records after the first day of the ASEAN Para Games (APG) in Singapore.

Do Thanh Hai claimed the gold in the SB5 - class men's 100m breaststroke pool with a time of 1:43.07, which is a new Games record.

Le Tien Dat followed his teammate with a gold and a record in the SB6-class men's 100m breaststroke event, with a timing of 1:37.55.

The Vietnamese dominated the women's 100m breaststroke - SB6 pool when they grabbed all three medals, with Trinh Thi Bich Nhu on top and setting a new record of 1:58.03.

Vi Thi Hang and Du Thi Lan came second and third, respectively.

Earlier, Nguyen Thanh Trung won the first gold medal for Viam by finishing the SB4 - class men's 100m breaststroke event with a time of 1:48.93, ahead of Voravit Kaewkham of Thailand and Ye Tun of Myanmar.

World bronze medallist Vo Thanh Tung had no difficulty in winning the men's 100m freestyle in S5.

Viet Nam also had Nguyen Van Hanh winning in the men's 100m breaststroke, he also set a new Games record with a time of 1:23.25 but it was a non-medal event this year.

Apart from swimming, athletes in the track-and-field also registered victories for Viet Nam.

Lai Thi Ngoc Anh grabbed a gold medal in the women's long jump T44-class. Her result of 3.81m was a new Games record.

Myanmar's Inginn Khin and Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Thuy claimed silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Thuy then stepped to the top podium in the 200m T43/44 event, with a timing of 34.01sec.

Veteran Thuy was no stranger to success at the ASEAN Para Games.

The 51-year-old made her debut in front of the home crowds in Ha Noi in 2003 and along the way she has picked up 19 medals on the track and in long jump.

That makes her among the most decorated athletes in APG history.

"I am very happy, it is always special to win medals in these Games," Thuy was quoted as saying on aseanparagames2015.com, and added that it was her passion for sport that still drove her to compete.

"I love sport. I continue to want to be healthy and active and I actually feel I have become stronger," she said.

That strength has come from a dedicated commitment to her training. She is on the track at 5am every morning, putting in her practice before she goes to work as a masseuse.

"It is a commitment and it can be hard, but it is worth it," she said.

After the first day, Viet Nam are fourth in the medal tally with nine golds. Powerhouse Thailand are top with 13 titles, followed by Indonesia and Malaysia. — VNS