Hung secures all-around berth to London Olympics

Moving on: Gymnast Pham Phuoc Hung performs in the pommel horse event at the National Gymnastic Championship. He has managed to qualify for this year London Olympics. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Truong

HA NOI — Male gymnast Pham Phuoc Hung secured a place to compete at the London Olympic Games after narrowly making the cut at the Olympic Games Test Event in England on Wednesday.

The qualifying event for the all-round gymnastics competition at the Olympics saw athletes vie for one of 27 tickets to the games. Hung secured the 26th place, becoming the second Vietnamese gymnast to secure a place at the summer Olympics.

Hung has excelled in competitions recently, winning two gold medals at the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia last November.

Hung, 24, who entered the men's gymnastics programme when he was seven, finished fourth in the men's individual parallel bars at the 2009 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Portugal.

The Hanoian, who has been training in China since 1998, will be a contender in the men's all-around competition in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Viet Nam's first gymnast to win a ticket to the Olympics was 21-year-old Phan Thi Ha Thanh.

Hailing from the northern port city of Hai Phong, Thanh won a bronze medal at the recent world event.

So far Viet Nam has five athletes on their way to London: gymnasts Thanh and Hung, taekwondo artists Le Huynh Chau and Chu Hoang Dieu Linh, and judoka Van Ngoc Tu.

In addition, top Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh is expected to play in London as he is ranked eighth in the world. — VNS

vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

British Embassy in Vietnam hoists Olympic flag

For the first time the flag of the Olympic London 2012 was hoisted in Vietnam on January 9.

British Ambassador Antony Stokes and Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports
and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan at the flag hoisting ceremony.

The flag hoisting ceremony was witnessed by many Vietnamese officials and Vietnamese athletes, including gymnast Ha Thanh, who was recently recognized as the best athlete of the year.

The flag hoisting ceremony in Hanoi yesterday marked the 200 days before the opening of the Olympic 2012 in London.

London is the first city that hosts the largest sport event in the world – the Olympic – for three times, including Olympic 1908, 1948 and 2012.

The British Ambassador to Vietnam Antony Stokes said at the ceremony--that the Olympic London 2012 is not only a sport event, but it is a chance to show the world an open, dynamic, creative, hospitable Britain, an ideal place for living, working, studying and doing business.

The Ambassador hoped that the Vietnamese delegation would win some medals at the Olympic 2012.

“The Olympic London 2012 is also an opportunity for Vietnamese athletes to understand more about the UK and for promoting the relations between Vietnam and the UK in sports,” he added.

After hoisting the flag together with Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan hoisted the flag, Ambassador Stokes presented Olympic London T-shirts to gymnast Ha Thanh and other athletes and disabled athletes who attended the ceremony.

english.vietnamnet.vn

Gymnast Thanh voted best athlete of the year

With 1,425 points, the Haiphong born gymnast Phan Thi Ha Thanh was awarded the “best athlete of the year” by the vote of nearly 200 domestic sport reporters and experts.

Thanh became the first Vietnamese gymnast to grab a bronze medal at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, and won a berth for the 2012 London Olympics.

The second place went to swimmer Hoang Quy Phuoc, who finished first in the men’s 100m freestyle and butterfly events at the 26^th SEA Games in Indonesia, with 1,386 points.

Meanwhile, chess Grandmaster Le Quang Liem, who was unbeaten and ranked second at the Dortmund Chess Match last July, was placed third with 945 points.

He was followed by the Asian and SEA Games sprinting champion, Truong Thanh Hang, and the SEA Games gymnastics winner, Do Thi Ngan Thuong.

The remaining athletes in the top 10 included sharpshooter Ha Minh Thanh, high jumper Duong Thi Viet Anh, wrestler Tran Le Quoc Toan and two taekwondo martial artists Chu Hoang Dieu Linh and Le Huynh Chau.

Gymnastics trainer for the female team Do Thuy Giang topped the vote for best trainer of the year. The other places went to Do Anh Tuan (swimming), Ho Thi Tu Tam (track and field), Nguyen Thi Nhung (shooting) and Ho Anh Tuan (taekwondo).

The best handicapped athlete award went to swimmer Vo Thanh Tung, who broke two Asian records at the 26^th ASEAN Para Games, and his trainer Dong Quoc Cuong won the best coach for handicapped athletes award.

dtinews.vn