Historically, Vietnam has struggled to make a significant impact at the Olympics, having earned only five medals across ten Games, including one gold, three silvers, and one bronze. The first notable achievement came from taekwondo athlete Tran Hieu Ngan, who won a silver medal in the 57kg weight class at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Later, weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan secured a silver medal in the 56kg category at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. In London 2012, weightlifter Tran Le Quoc Toan earned a bronze medal in the 56kg weight class.

The pinnacle of Vietnam's Olympic success was marked by shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh's remarkable performance at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where he claimed a gold medal in the 10m air pistol event and a silver in the 50m pistol event.

In recent years, Vietnam has focused its investment on specific sports and key athletes, yet primarily contends for medals at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Competing at the Asian Games (Asiad) level has also proven challenging, making the Olympic stage seem even more distant.

Currently, the most promising prospects for Vietnam at the Paris 2024 Olympics lie in shooting and weightlifting, but these opportunities come with a significant degree of uncertainty. In shooting, athletes Trinh Thu Vinh and Le Thi Mong Tuyen need extraordinary performances akin to Hoang Xuan Vinh's 2016 success to stand a chance. Thu Vinh ranked 6th in the 10m air pistol event, while Mong Tuyen placed 16th in the 10m air rifle event during the Olympic qualifiers.

Weightlifting lacks a strong 56kg category, making medal chances slim. Weightlifter Trinh Van Vinh, competing in the 61kg category, represents Vietnam's hope in this sport. He qualified for the Olympics by ranking 6th with a total lift of 294kg, but will need to surpass 300kg to be competitive.

For athletes like Hoang Thi Tinh (judo), Nguyen Huy Hoang (swimming), Nguyen Thuy Linh and Le Duc Phat (badminton), Do Thi Anh Nguyet (archery), and Vo Thi Kim Anh and Ha Thi Linh (boxing), the focus is on personal achievements rather than medal contention due to the substantial gap between their skills and those of the world’s top competitors.

The Vietnamese delegation, which will compete from July 26 to August 11, 2024, includes: Do Thi Anh Nguyet, Le Quoc Phong (archery), Tran Thi Nhi Yen (athletics), Nguyen Thuy Linh, Le Duc Phat (badminton), Ha Thi Linh, Vo Thi Kim Anh (boxing), Nguyen Thi Huong (canoeing), Nguyen Thi That (cycling), Pham Thi Hue (rowing), Trinh Thu Vinh, Le Thi Mong Tuyen (shooting), Nguyen Huy Hoang, Vo Thi My Tien (swimming), Trinh Van Vinh (weightlifting), and Hoang Thi Tinh (judo). Special invitations have been extended to Tran Thi Nhi Yen and Vo Thi My Tien.

Dang Ha Viet, Director of the Department of Physical Education and Sports, will lead the delegation, and badminton player Le Duc Phat and cyclist Nguyen Thi That will carry the flag for Vietnam at the opening ceremony.

Dai Nam