Despite many changes in personnel, Vietnamese weightlifters are targeting two gold medals and an Olympic berth from the upcoming SEA Games in Indonesia.

The team consists of young and inexperienced members including Thach Kim Tuan, Tran Le Quoc Toan and Nguyen Thi Phuong Loan.

The main national medal-winning hope, Hoang Anh Tuan, who pocketed a Beijing Olympics silver medal, was banned for doping at the National Sport Games last November.

His female teammate Ngo Thi Hanh will also be absent from the Games for the same reasons, while veterans Nguyen Thi Thiet, Ngo Thi Nga, Khat Minh Hai, and Nguyen Manh Thang have all retired.

Kim Tuan snatched a gold medal at the Singapore Youth Olympics last October, and will compete for gold again in the men’s 56kg category, while trying his best to qualify for the London Olympics next summer.

According to coach Huynh Huu Chi, Kim Tuan regularly lifts a total of 282kg in training, and can go up to 290kg, 2kg more than Anh Tuan’s silver medal performance in Beijing three years ago.

Kim Tuan and Toan will compete with defending champion Jadi Setiadi of Indonesia. Setiadi lifted 274kg to touch gold in Laos two years ago.

On the women’s side, Loan will be looking for her second consecutive SEA Games title.

Her biggest rival will be 19-year-old Darat Srisuwan of Thailand who can lift up to 220kg, while defending champion Okta Pramita of Indonesia holds the 211kg record.

VOV