Dancesport

HÀ NỘI — When Vietnamese dancesport athlete Nguyễn Trọng Nhã Uyên stepped off the floor in Bremen, Germany, she carried more than a silver medal. 

Her second-place finish at the 2026 World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) World Championship in the solo Latin female adult category marked a new milestone, but for the Vietnamese dancer it was also a tribute to the coaches who have guided her through the year-long pursuit of her ultimate goal.

The result came after a steady progression. Having claimed bronze at last year's edition, Uyên returned this year to upgrade her medal to silver, moving one step closer to the top of the world stage.

This achievement underlined not only her personal development, but also the growing presence of Vietnamese dancesport at elite international competitions.

“On the competition floor, when my name was announced for the silver medal, I felt a bit of regret,” Uyên said. “But after calming down and looking back at the whole journey, I felt proud and happy. This year I did better by changing the colour of the medal and becoming the world runner-up.”

For her coaches, the significance of the result goes beyond the podium. Phan Hồng Việt said the most valuable aspect was the process of self-improvement that Uyên had gone through over the past year.

“In high-performance sport, maintaining results is already difficult. Improving them to get closer to the world’s top level is an even bigger challenge,” Việt said. 

“Changing the medal from bronze to silver shows the great effort of both coach and athlete. We have no regrets, only pride.”

Behind that progress is a carefully planned partnership. Coaches Việt and Hoàng Thu Trang identified Uyên’s potential early and built a long-term training programme aimed at the highest level. Rather than focusing solely on physical limitations when compared to European competitors, they chose a different approach.

Instead of trying to match advantages in physique, the coaching team worked to develop a distinctive performance style suited to Nhã Uyên’s strengths. The strategy focused on maximising the qualities of an Asian dancer with a smaller frame, while maintaining technical precision and expression.

“Nhã Uyên is an Asian athlete with a petite build, competing against many European dancers with physical advantages,” Việt said. “We did not follow their approach, but created a style that fits her physique. The result shows that this direction is the right one.”

The silver medal in Bremen thus carried additional meaning. It was not only a sporting achievement, but also a gift from the athlete to her coaches, who have supported her consistently over the years. The timing made it even more special, coinciding with the 15th wedding anniversary of Việt and Trang.

 

Uyên acknowledged that the support from her coaches played a decisive role in maintaining her motivation during the demanding preparations for the tournament.

“They have been with me for many years,” she said. “Right after the 2025 World Championship, when I won bronze, they immediately set a plan and a goal for this year to change the colour of the medal. The preparation was a long-term process.”

That process required persistence and discipline, as well as trust between athlete and coaches. Each competition, training session and adjustment was part of a broader plan aimed at gradual improvement rather than short-term success.

At 31, the dancer is no stranger to major competitions. She previously made history at the 30th SEA Games in the Philippines, winning Việt Nam’s first dancesport gold medal in 14 years alongside Phan Hiển in the Latin Jive event.

Her latest result in Bremen signals continued progress at the highest level of the sport. More importantly, it highlights the potential of Vietnamese dancesport to compete with established powers.

For Uyên, the silver medal is not an endpoint, but part of a longer journey. With a clear direction and a stable coaching team, she is now closer than ever to the top of the global stage, carrying with her the expectations of a sport that is steadily gaining ground worldwide. — VNS