In the men's 5km discipline, Nguyen Huy Hoang secured a silver medal after finishing in 57 minutes 04.1 seconds. Vietnam’s leading distance swimmer finished less than eight seconds behind gold medalist Tianchen Lan of China following a highly competitive race.

Mai Tran Tuan Anh continued his impressive rise by earning bronze in 57 minutes 04.6 seconds, just half a second behind Huy Hoang. Another Vietnamese swimmer, Nguyen Viet Tuong, placed 12th overall.

In the women's 5km competition, Vo Thi My Tien captured a bronze medal with a time of 1 hour 2 minutes 20 seconds. China dominated the category, with Wu Shutong taking gold and Chen Yijing securing silver.

The result holds special significance as it marks Vietnam’s first appearance at the Asian Open Water Swimming Championships. Winning three medals on debut highlights the growing competitiveness of Vietnamese swimmers in endurance competitions, one of the most demanding disciplines in Asian aquatics.

The 2026 Asian Open Water Swimming Championships have attracted athletes from 18 countries and territories across the continent. This marks the first time Vietnamese athletes have won medals at the Asian tournament in this long-distance category.

The swimmers will continue their competitions on June 14 and 15.

Vietnam names squad for Asian Open Water Swimming Championships

VOV.VN - Vietnam has named its squad for the 2026 Asian Open Water Swimming Championships, to be held in Bali, Indonesia, from June 13-15, with Nguyen Huy Hoang, one of the country's leading distance swimmers, among those selected for the continental event.