Competing in lane 5, Huy Hoang faced fierce rivals from India, China, Japan, Uzbekistan, Thailand, and Malaysia. Showing maximum confidence, he quickly surged ahead to lead the race. By the 400-meter mark, he had already widened the gap by 1.61 seconds ahead of his closest competitor, Xu Haibo from China.

In the final 100 meters, Huy Hoang swam virtually alone, finishing first with a time of 7 minutes 57.58 seconds to secure the gold medal. This was his second gold at the championship, having previously won the 1,500-meter freestyle.

Although his time was slightly slower than the bronze-medal performance at the 19th Asian Games (7 minutes 51.44 seconds), his consistent form is highly commendable.

With this achievement, Huy Hoang has made history as the first Vietnamese swimmer to claim a double gold medal at the Asian Championship. The 25-year-old athlete's accomplishment not only solidifies his standing in the sport but also boosts his confidence as he aims for the top podium at the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 Asian Games.

In other notable results, Nguyen Kha Nhi claimed silver in the women’s 400-meter freestyle with a time of 4 minutes 25.50 seconds. The gold went to Japanese swimmer Tanimoto, who clocked 4 minutes 16.39 seconds. In the women’s 200-meter butterfly final, Vo Thi My Tien placed fourth with a time of 2 minutes 15.02 seconds.

Dai Nam