For the second consecutive year, sharpshooter Trinh Thu Vinh has been named Vietnam’s Athlete of the Year, securing an overwhelming lead in votes from sports journalists and experts.

According to the official results announced by the organizing committee of the 2025 National Poll for Outstanding Athletes and Coaches, Trinh Thu Vinh topped the list with 1,272 points.

She was followed by athletics star Nguyen Thi Oanh (751 points), footballer Nguyen Dinh Bac (693), canoeist Nguyen Thi Huong (551), and swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang (539).

The title is a fitting recognition for the young markswoman from the People’s Public Security team, who had an exceptional season in 2025.

At SEA Games 33, born in 2000, Trinh Thu Vinh delivered high-stakes performances that thrilled spectators and brought glory to Vietnam’s shooting team.

On the very first day of competition, she was entrusted with leading the charge for Team Vietnam and did not disappoint. She clinched gold in both the women’s 10m air pistol individual and team events, the latter alongside Nguyen Thuy Trang and Trieu Thi Hoa Hong.

In the days that followed, she added two more gold medals in the women’s 25m pistol individual and team events. She also claimed a silver medal in the mixed 10m air pistol event with teammate Pham Quang Huy.

Altogether, Trinh Thu Vinh concluded SEA Games 33 with four gold medals and one silver.

More impressively, she broke three SEA Games records - in the women’s 10m air pistol individual and team events, as well as the 25m pistol individual event - a feat never before achieved by any Vietnamese shooter in the competition's history.

Her dominance extended beyond Southeast Asia.

At the 2025 Asian Shooting Cup, she secured a gold medal in the mixed 10m air pistol event. She later won a bronze medal at the 2025 Asian Championships.

Her stellar performances earned her a position in the People’s Public Security Forces, and capped off a season filled with historic milestones and accolades.

This marks her second straight year as Vietnam’s number one athlete.

In the Coach of the Year category, South Korean head coach Kim Sang Sik came out on top with 532 points, beating shooting coach Tran Quoc Cuong (283) and swimming coach Nguyen Hoang Vu (224), among others.

Vietnam’s U22 national football team was named Team of the Year with 1,660 points, far surpassing the women’s 4x400m relay team (635) and the women's sepak takraw team (560).

Swimmer Vi Thi Hang won the award for Outstanding Athlete with Disabilities, while her coach Nguyen Dang Vien was named Coach of the Year for athletes with disabilities.

Dai Nam