Sharpshooter Trinh Thu Vinh had an exceptional SEA Games, winning four gold medals and breaking three records - making her the most outstanding athlete of Vietnam’s national sports delegation at the 33rd edition of the regional games.

As SEA Games 33 concluded, shooting emerged as one of the most successful sports for Team Vietnam. Vietnamese marksmen earned a total of 8 gold, 5 silver, and 1 bronze medal, while setting four new records. The team exceeded their gold medal target by one, reflecting the remarkable determination and effort of all athletes.

Among them, Trinh Thu Vinh stood out as the star performer. Born in 2000, the shooter delivered emotionally charged performances that kept audiences on edge - culminating in overwhelming moments of victory.

On the very first day of competition, tasked with leading the charge for Vietnam’s shooting team, Thu Vinh won the gold medal in the women’s 10m air pistol team event alongside Nguyen Thuy Trang and Trieu Thi Hoa Hong. She followed it up with another gold in the individual 10m air pistol event.

In the days that followed, representing the Ministry of Public Security’s sports delegation, she added two more gold medals in the 25m sport pistol individual and team events. She also won a silver in the mixed 10m air pistol event with Pham Quang Huy - closing her SEA Games campaign with a total of four golds.

Remarkably, among those four golds, Thu Vinh broke three records - in the individual and team 10m air pistol, and the individual 25m sport pistol. This feat had never been accomplished by any Vietnamese shooter in SEA Games history.

At the previous SEA Games, she had only secured one silver and one bronze. Her stellar performance this year marks a breakthrough not only in technical skill but also in competitive maturity for the Thanh Hoa-born athlete.

With four gold medals, one silver, and three new records, Trinh Thu Vinh was named the most outstanding athlete in Team Vietnam at SEA Games 33.

Speaking to VietNamNet, coach Tran Quoc Cuong of the national shooting team stated that the recognition was more than deserved. “Shooting is a sport that demands utmost concentration and rigorous training. Most of the events in which Thu Vinh won gold are also featured in the Asian Games and the Olympics,” he emphasized.

Nguyen Hong Minh, head of Team Vietnam at SEA Games 33, confirmed that Thu Vinh is currently one of the country’s top athletes and is on the list of elite individuals receiving key investment for international competitions at the continental and global levels.

Dai Nam