Nguyen Huy Hoang - the Vietnamese swimmer who set a new SEA Games record

The men's 1,500m freestyle gold medal on the afternoon of 12/12 made swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang the first Vietnamese athlete to win an event in five consecutive SEA Games.

Not limited to regional competitions, Huy Hoang has also participated in the 2021 and 2024 Olympics, won gold in the 800m freestyle at the 2018 Youth Olympics, silver in the 1,500m freestyle at the 18th Asian Games, bronze in the 800m freestyle at the 18th and 19th Asian Games, and bronze in the 400m freestyle at the 19th Asian Games.

Nguyen Huy Hoang continued his dominance at the Sports Authority of Thailand Complex in Bangkok on the afternoon of 12/12, easily winning the men's 1,500m freestyle final with a time of 15 minutes 19.58 seconds. This victory secured his fifth consecutive gold medal in his signature event, establishing a new national record.

No Vietnamese athlete, not even Nguyen Thi Anh Vien in her prime, has won consecutive gold medals in a single event like Huy Hoang.

Huy Hoang arrived at this year's SEA Games in impressive form. In August, he earned a historic gold medal for Vietnam at the 2025 Asian Championships in the 1,500m freestyle, clocking 15 minutes 15.01 seconds. Additionally, he won the 800m freestyle and placed second in the 400m freestyle, marking the first time a Vietnamese male swimmer secured two gold medals at the Asian level.

The 1,500m freestyle has been a pivotal event in Huy Hoang's career. Beginning with the 2017 SEA Games in Singapore, the swimmer, born in 2000, made his mark by shattering the Games record and winning gold for Vietnam. Since then, he has consistently triumphed in this event, through the Games in 2019 (Philippines), 2021 (Vietnam), 2023 (Cambodia), and this year in Thailand.

Huy Hoang expressed gratitude for mentors like Lam Quang Nhat and a Chinese coach who guided him into this event. Beyond the 1,500m, the athlete from Quang Binh (now Quang Tri) has frequently won the 400m and 800m freestyle events. He also competes in the 200m butterfly and the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Huy Hoang posed for a photo with his junior teammate Mai Tran Tuan Anh, who won a silver medal in the 1,500m event with a time of 15 minutes 22.59 seconds. Before this year's SEA Games, Huy Hoang had secured 11 gold medals across four previous Games. He is one of two Vietnamese athletes with over 10 SEA Games gold medals competing in Thailand this time, alongside Nguyen Thi Oanh (12, athletics).