Why did the Vietnamese gymnastics team lower its target at SEA Games 33?

Having won 4 gold medals at the 32nd SEA Games in 2023, the Vietnamese gymnastics team did not set high targets at the 33rd SEA Games taking place next December in Thailand.

Don't be subjective about Carlos Yulo's absence.

Recently, the Philippine media reported that the number 1 star of the country's gymnastics team, Carlos Yulo (won 2 gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics), will not participate in the 33rd SEA Games. Many opinions say that if Yulo is absent, it will open up greater opportunities to compete with the Vietnamese gymnastics team.

Speaking yesterday, October 21, a member of the coaching staff of the Vietnamese gymnastics team expressed: "Up to now, it is still unclear whether Carlos Yulo will participate in the 33rd SEA Games or not, but the Vietnamese players are still highly focused, preparing well both professionally and mentally to conquer the 33rd SEA Games."

Vietnam Gymnastics team focuses on SEA Games 33

Photo: Dau Tien Dat

It is known that at the 33rd SEA Games, host Thailand cut out 2 events of Gymnastics: Men's Team and Men's Individual All-Around. In addition, there is a rule that an athlete cannot compete in more than 2 finals and each country can only have 1 athlete compete in the finals in 1 individual event. That is also the reason why the leader of the Philippine Gymnastics Association believes that those regulations are aimed at limiting Carlos Yulo's ability to win many gold medals, so he decided not to participate in the 33rd SEA Games.

At the 32nd SEA Games, the Philippine men's gymnastics team won 4 gold medals, with Carlos Yulo contributing 2 gold medals. The Vietnamese gymnastics team also excelled in winning 4 gold medals, defeating the Philippines in the team event and Nguyen Van Khanh Phong surpassing Carlos Yulo in the individual ring event. With only 6 events remaining at the 33rd SEA Games and strict regulations, the Vietnamese gymnastics team is expected to have to compete fiercely with the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore, so the coaching staff decided to lower the target to 2 gold medals at the 33rd SEA Games.

Prepare carefully

As one of the sports that receives major investment, the Vietnamese Gymnastics team focuses on long-term training and regular international competitions to improve their skills and accumulate points on the rankings. Not only competing for the SEA Games gold medal, the Vietnamese Gymnastics players also aim for larger arenas such as the ASIAD and the Olympics.

At the 2025 World Gymnastics Championships taking place in Indonesia, the Vietnamese men's gymnastics team has 4 participating faces: Nguyen Van Khanh Phong, Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien, Dinh Phuong Thanh and Do Nam Anh. The tournament attracts most of the world's top athletes, so despite their best efforts, the Vietnamese athletes could not pass the qualifying round. Khanh Phong is the Vietnamese athlete with the best individual achievement, ranking 16th out of 102 athletes participating in the rings event; Phuong Thanh ranked 23rd out of 116 athletes participating in the parallel bars event; Xuan Thien ranked 48th in the pommel horse event; Nam Anh ranked 90th in the horizontal bars event.

Previously in June, the Vietnamese Gymnastics team was also sent to the Asian Championship in Korea, winning a bronze medal thanks to Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien in the pommel horse event. Through each tournament, the coaching staff and the athletes will gain experience and continue to train to maximize their abilities in their strengths, aiming for the best performance for the 33rd SEA Games.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-doi-tuyen-tddc-vn-ha-chi-tieu-tai-sea-games-33-185251021170939335.htm