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Do Thi Ngan Thuong has become the first Vietnamese gymnast in history to be selected for competition at the Olympic Games - and one of just 14 Vietnamese who will be competing in Beijing this August.
Ha Noi girl to be nation’s first Olympic gymnast
(28-03-2008)
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| Beaming: Do Thi Ngan Thuong, en route to winning the National Championships gold medal in the beam event in Hai Phong last October, has secured a ticket to this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing and become the first Vietnamese gymnast to go to the Olympics. — VNA/VNS Photo Quoc Khanh |
HA NOI — Do Thi Ngan Thuong has become the first Vietnamese gymnast in history to be selected for competition at the Olympic Games – and one of just 14 Vietnamese who will be competing in Beijing this August.
In her young career, Thuong, 19, has become regarded as the best regional gymnast at three consecutive Southeast Asian Games where she has pocketed a total of more than five gold medals.
Her achievements at these events and local competitions impressed Olympics organisers who selected her and 96 other athletes from various nations from 1,100 nominees.
The International Gymnastics Federation said that while Thuong ranked 12th in the beam and uneven-bar events at the world championships in Qatar recently, her performance was good enough for selection.
"I could not believe it when I received the news, and I felt very, very happy," said Thuong.
"Performing at Olympics has been my dream since I just started training in gymnastics, but I always thought it would be out of my reach.
"With such a rare opportunity, I have to strive for the highest score to create a good impression about Viet Nam," Thuong said.
Nguyen Kim Lan, head of the Gymnastics Department at the Viet Nam Sports and Physical Training Administration, said: "We will make up a specific schedule and diet for her so that she can prepare well for the Beijing Olympics."
"Although Thuong may not earn a medal, her debut as the nation’s first Olympic gymnast will greatly encourage other Vietnamese gymnasts.
"We have set her a goal – to rank among the top 10 in the single event that she is contesting."
The International Olympics Committee’s (IOC) recognition of Thuong was largely due to the concerted effort by Vietnamese officials who sent information and documents and asked IOC to evaluate her contribution over the years.
Thuong is the 14th athlete of Viet Nam to be selected for Beijing. The others include eight wushu martial artists, three taekwondo fighters, one shooter and one table-tennis player. — VNS