In the final race held that evening, Huy Hoang faced tough competition from swimmers representing Japan, Hong Kong (China), Uzbekistan, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and India. The Vietnamese athlete surged ahead in the closing laps to finish first with a time of 15 minutes 15.01 seconds, well ahead of Ilya Sibirtsev (Uzbekistan), who took silver in 15:23.35, and Kushagra Rawat (India), who won bronze with 15:30.88.

This is Huy Hoang’s first time standing atop the podium at an Asian-level competition, after previously earning a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. His time of 15:15.01 is also his best performance over the past year. At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, he recorded a time of 15:18.63, and at the 2025 World Championships, he finished in 15:19.39.

However, this time still falls short of his personal best and national record in the event - 14:41.00, which he set at a previous SEA Games.

According to the Swimming Division of Vietnam’s General Department of Sports and Physical Training, the absence of top-tier swimmers from countries like China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea at this year’s tournament provided an opportunity for Huy Hoang to flex his muscle. More importantly, he showcased strong determination and stable form, reaffirming his position as one of Southeast Asia’s top swimmers.

The Asian Aquatics Championships 2025 is running in India from September 28 to October 10. On the opening day, the Vietnamese swimming team also secured two silvers and a bronze in the women’s 200m freestyle, women’s 1,500m freestyle, and men’s 200m breaststroke.

First three medals for Vietnam at 2025 Asian Aquatics Championships

VOV.VN - Vietnamese swimmers delivered a good performance on the first competition day (September 28) of the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships in India, bringing home 2 silver medals and 1 bronze medal.