Vietnam tops SEA Games medal tally

This is the third time that the Vietnam sports delegation has topped the SEA Games final medal tally, but it’s the first time they did it as a participating country and not as a host. Thailand finished second with 108 gold medals.

On the final day of the competition, Vietnam won 12 more gold medals from weightlifting, sports dancing, wrestling, fencing, traditional sailing, judo and kickboxing.

Wrestler Ngo The Sao celebrates his victory in the men's 70 kg event on May 16, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong

In wrestling, Ngo Van Lam beat two opponents from Cambodia and Philippines to top the men’s freestyle 92 kg event and won a gold medal. Three more gold medals were won by Vietnamese wrestlers in the afternoon at the 65 kg, 70 kg and 74 kg events.

Meanwhile, fencers Cao Minh Duyet, Pham Quoc Tai, Nguyen Van Hai, and Nguyen Minh Quang defeated Singapore team 45-27 to win the men’s foil team event.

In Judo, Vietnamese athletes won the mixed team event to increase their total gold medals at SEA Games 32 to eight.

The Vietnam weightlifting team win a total of four medals in SEA Games 32. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong

Vietnam boat racing team also bring home the gold medal in the 12-seat mixed event after finishing first in the 800 m race.

But the most emotional sport on Tuesday has to be weightlifting. Nguyen Quoc Toan broke three SEA Games records in the men’s 89 kg, lifting a total weight of 345 kg.

Tran Dinh Thang had a dramatic win against Thai opponent Rungsuriya Panya in the men’s above 89 kg event after appealing two times for the result. He lifted a total weight of 359 kg, which is only one kg more than Panya.