The Journey to Conquer Peaks of Vietnamese Swimmers at International Arena

The moment Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan touched the pool wall after her double gold at the 2026 Southeast Asian Swimming Championships was not just a personal victory. It was proof of a long journey where every drop of sweat shed in Nha Trang swimming pools over the past three years finally bore fruit. On August 12, 2026, in Manila, Philippines, the 21-year-old swimmer from Ho Chi Minh City brought home two golds for Vietnam in the women's 200m individual medley and 400m freestyle. The time of 2:12.47 in the 200m IM was not a world record, nor was it her personal best. But it came at the most critical moment — the gold medal final against her Filipino rival, where psychological pressure often outweighs technique. Behind the locker room door, there are stories never told. Returning from morning training at the National Sports Center II, I sat down with Coach Tran Van Minh — who has guided Kim Ngan since 2026 — to learn more about what's happening in Vietnam's swimming team locker room. "She is not the naturally gifted swimmer many people think she is," Coach Minh shared, his voice softening as he spoke about his student. "Kim Ngan swam at least 3 seconds slower than her peers when she first started training. What makes her different is patience and resilience. Every training session, she finished last, but never gave up." This truth completely contradicts the "swimming prodigy" image that media often constructs. Over 27 years of following competitions from youth to international level, I have witnessed countless talents defeated not by opponents, but by external pressure and expectations. Swimmers dubbed "phenomenons" at age 15 often struggle when they reach 20 — when bodies change, competition pressure doubles, and mental maturity becomes the deciding factor. Kim Ngan is the opposite case. She is not a prodigy. She is the product of a systematic process where every training session is measured, every lap has a specific goal. Coach Minh revealed that since 2026, the team has applied real-time data analysis methods — every stroke, every kick, every breath is recorded and compared with data from top Asian swimmers. "We are not trying to make her into someone's copy," Coach Minh added. "But to find the optimal swimming style for her physique and physiology. She is shorter than her international competitors, so we focus on turn technique and start speed — two factors that height does not determine." This strategy proved effective. At the 2026 SEA Games 33, Kim Ngan's start time ranked third among all female swimmers, only behind representatives from Australia and Indonesia. This was a significant improvement compared to SEA Games 32, when she started 0.4 seconds slower than her own best time. However, Kim Ngan's story also raises bigger questions about Vietnam's swimming future. While countries like the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia are heavily investing in professional training programs with technology and foreign expert support, Vietnam is still searching for the right direction. According to figures from the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, the budget for swimming accounts for only 4.2% of the total budget for Olympic sports — far lower than weightlifting, shooting, or wushu. This disparity affects not only facilities but also directly impacts international competition opportunities for young athletes. Over the past five years, each Vietnamese swimmer has averaged only 2-3 international competition opportunities per year, while this number is 7-8 in Thailand and 5-6 in the Philippines. But something that statistical figures cannot reflect is the spirit of those involved. At National Sports Center II, where Kim Ngan trains, the 25m pool has seriously deteriorated after more than 20 years of use. The water temperature regularly stays at 29-30 degrees Celsius, higher than the ideal 27 degrees Celsius by international standards. This affects training efficiency, but athletes persist. "We know the conditions are not perfect," Kim Ngan shared in a brief interview after her victory in Manila. "But every time I step into the water, I only think about those who believed in me — family, coaches, fans at home. They deserve to see Vietnam shine on the international stage." Her words remind me of a lesson I have learned from many years following sporting journeys: success in sports is never just about gold or records. It is about resilient people, untold stories, and dreams nurtured in silence. Kim Ngan is not Vietnam's only swimmer writing her own story. In the southeast, 19-year-old Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy from Hai Phong just set a new national record in the women's 100m backstroke with a time of 1:02.34. This was the first time in 8 years that the national record in this event was broken. Thanh Thuy also comes from a family with no sporting tradition, started swimming at age 8 at a public pool in Le Chan district, and was discovered by a local coach during a city-level youth competition. Stories like Kim Ngan's and Thanh Thuy's show the immense potential of Vietnamese swimming, but also reflect the challenges the entire system faces. For these seeds to bloom on continental and world stages, more systematic investment, longer-term vision, and most importantly, proper recognition of quiet efforts are needed. The field may be empty, but voices from the locker room have never stopped echoing. And perhaps, that is the most important thing to acknowledge — not the medals, but the indomitable will of those swimming against the current daily, hoping that someday, the flow will turn in the right direction. Vietnamese swimming stands at a crossroads. Successes at SEA Games 33 are encouraging signs, but also reminders that the road ahead is very long. The question is not "Can we do it?" — the answer was given in Manila. The real question is: "How far will we continue to invest in and support these journeys?"