This weekend, while most of us were busy sleeping, discovering the magic of Pokemon GO or indulging in a heavy nhậu session, Hoang Xuan Vinh was making history.
The 41-year-old military officer, who won the men’s 10m air pistol event at the 2016 Rio Games, is now the proud owner of Vietnam’s first-ever Olympic gold medal, reports VnExpress.
In a battle for first place that came down to the final round, Vinh scored a total of 202.5 points, edging just .4 ahead of Brazilian shooter Felipe Wu to take home the gold.
“The Brazilian shooter was very fast and stronger, but I think only 'try, try, try',” Vinh told reporters. “On the last shot I don't think gold or silver. I think only try.”
According to VnExpress, Vinh will receive as much as VND3.2 billion (US$144,000) in prize money upon his return to Vietnam.
Vinh isn't the only one with a shot at the medals this year; VietnamNet has previously listed Van Ngoc Tu (judo), Tran Le Quoc Toan (weightlifting) and Thach Kim Tuan (weightlifting) as other Vietnamese athletes with a legit chance of securing Olympic glory.
Video via YouTube user Nam Nguyen Giang.
[Photo via The Independent]
