Nguyen Thi Oanh claimed her third individual gold in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 10:13.75.

The queen of Vietnamese athletics had earlier won the 5,000m and 10,000m events.

Though slightly slower than her previous record, Oanh’s latest win was still dominant - especially impressive given she had competed in the 10,000m final just the previous day.

Her teammate Doan Thu Hang added a silver medal by finishing second in the same event.

In the women’s high jump, Bui Thi Kim Anh shined as a rising star of Southeast Asian athletics.

The 2006-born athlete cleared 1.83m to secure gold, and then, instead of settling, aimed higher.

In a bold and confident move, Kim Anh attempted - and successfully cleared - 1.86m, setting a new personal best and affirming her status as one of the region’s top young talents.

Her teammate Duong Thi Thao also put in a strong performance, earning bronze with a jump of 1.75m.

Vietnam's 4x400m women’s relay team added another highlight by defending their SEA Games title in emphatic style.

Facing tough competition from Thailand and the Philippines, the Vietnamese quartet powered through the final with a winning time of 3:32.59.

Later in the day, Tran Thi Loan secured gold in the women's long jump with a distance of 6.53m, pushing Vietnam’s gold count even higher.

In men's competition, the 4x400m relay team - featuring Tran Nhat Hoang, Ta Ngoc Tuong, Vu Ngoc Khanh, and Le Ngoc Phuc - led most of the race before being overtaken at the finish by a naturalized Thai athlete, who broke the event’s record.

The Vietnamese team settled for silver after a fierce and emotional battle.

In kickboxing, Nguyen Quang Huy secured gold in the men’s 57kg category after defeating a Thai opponent.

Meanwhile, in the 50kg women’s division, Hoang Thi Thuy Giang earned Vietnam’s 42nd gold of the Games with a dominant 11-2 victory over a Myanmar fighter.

Vietnam’s Esports team celebrated victory in the women’s Arena of Valor (Lien Quan Mobile), defeating Laos 4-0 in the final to clinch gold.

The match came after controversy involving Thailand’s team, which was disqualified due to a cheating incident involving athlete Naphat Warasin, who used unauthorized third-party software during a previous match against Vietnam.

The Thai Olympic Committee issued a complete ban on her participation across all SEA Games Esports events.

Rowing also contributed to Vietnam’s medal haul.

The women's heavyweight four - Le Thi Hien, Du Thi Bong, Ha Thi Vui, and Pham Thi Ngoc Anh - won gold with a time of 8 minutes 03.515 seconds.

Their performance received high praise, including an immediate reward from Nguyen Ngoc Long, Deputy Head of Vietnam’s SEA Games delegation.

By the end of December 16, Vietnam had collected 9 gold, 8 silver, and 10 bronze medals, marking a powerful day of achievement and national pride across various sports disciplines.