VietNamNet Bridge – The selection of the Athlete of the Year 2012 has started and it is said to be the competition between gymnast Phan Thi Ha Thanh and senior gunner Hoang Xuan Vinh.

Gymnast Ha Thanh.

On December 28, sports reporters in the country will vote for the top 10 athletes of Vietnam in 2012.

In a year that Vietnam did not have many outstanding sports achievements, it is forecasted that the race will be mainly between the two athletes who are entering their professional maturity, Ha Thanh and Xuan Vinh.

The opportunity to be the best athlete for the second consecutive time has opened to Ha Thanh after the Haiphong girl had an impressive year in the international arena.

Gunner Hoang Xuan Vinh.

After winning a card to the 2012 Olympics, Ha Thanh won the first Asian gold medal for Vietnam’s gymnastics.

Like the world bronze medal last year, Ha Thanh’s Asian gold medal this year is highly appreciated because the Asian arena is a tough challenge, with intense competition from countries with gymnastic tradition as China and North Korea. Ha Thanh won two more gold medals at the Challenge Cup and Toyota tournaments later.

Meanwhile, shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh continued to affirm the leading role by ranking 4th at the 2012 Olympics and first at the Asian Championships.

At the Olympics London, Hoang Xuan Vinh ranked fourth in the men’s 50m pistol event (breaking national record) and ninth in the men’s 10m air pistol event. This is the best performance of Vietnam at the event.

Vietnam in 2012 also has other sports highlights, such as: the efforts to return to the No. 8 position in the world ranking of badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh; the impressive improvement of young swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien; the effort to prove to be Vietnam’s top weightlifter of Tran Le Quoc Toan (he also won the Asian championship and narrowly won the Olympic bronze medal.)

The list of outstanding athletes 2012 will be announced on December 31.

The poll is being held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in three locations: Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City on December 28.

Sports reporters will select 10 outstanding faces based on a list of the athletes who won the best achievement in the international arena.

Compiled by S. Tung