In the heart-pounding arena of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, seven valiant athletes from Việt Nam have descended upon the stage of destiny. Their mission: to conquer the 2023 IWF World Weightlifting Championships, a pivotal battlefield on the road to the coveted Paris 2024 Olympic Games. With unwavering determination, three formidable women, , Phạm Đình Thi, and Phạm Thị Hồng Thanh, and four indomitable men, Nguyễn Trần Anh Tuấn, Lại Gia Thành, Ngô Sơn Đỉnh, and Trịnh Văn Vinh, arrived on September 1, bracing themselves for the epic showdown that will unfold from September 4-17.
This championship holds the key to Olympic dreams, as athletes vie for the precious 10 quota spots in each of the 10 Olympic weight classes via the IWF Olympic Qualification Ranking. The stage is set with a total of 20 weight classes, 10 for each gender, and medals await the victors in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total weight categories.
Việt Nam’s hopes soar high, with Thành and Đỉnh emerging as their brightest stars. These formidable men made waves in the 55kg category last year, with Thành seizing gold in the snatch and Sơn clinching bronze. Their combined might resulted in a silver medal in the total weight. Thành, a champion of the 2022 Asian and 2023 Southeast Asian Games, stands as a beacon of strength, while Sơn has amassed three silvers from the 2023 Asian championship, capping it off with a victory in the Mekong Delta Sports Games.
Amidst this electrifying backdrop, Thanh enters the women’s 71kg category as a potent medal contender. The coaching board hails her remarkable progress, forecasting a triumphant performance.
And the narrative takes a twist with the return of former world champion Vinh, competing in the men’s 61kg category for the first time since his four-year ban due to doping. A warrior poised for redemption, Vinh eyes a resurgence after his previous gold in the snatch event at the 2017 championship.
With the weight of dreams and aspirations on their shoulders, these athletes embark on a journey of sacrifice, resilience, and sheer willpower, chasing the elusive Olympic slots. Their path continues with the 2024 IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, from April 2-11. In a high-stakes world of weightlifting, heroes are born, legends are forged, and the Việt Nam team stands at the precipice of glory.
