Vietnam ended its gold drought on the first day of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 33) as Nguyen Thi Huong and Diep Thi Huong powered to victory in the women’s 500m canoe sprint final.
The pair, who earlier this year claimed the Southeast Asian championship title and took silver at the Asian Championships, dominated the December 10 final with a time of 2 minutes and 6.487 seconds, overcoming a sluggish start to pull clear of the field.
They qualified comfortably in the morning heats with a time of 2:14.565 before producing a forceful performance in the medal race.
Hosts Thailand settled for silver through Orasa and Aphinya, who finished in 2:09.783, while Indonesia’s Aprilin and Sella earned bronze in 2:16.410.
The victory marks Vietnam’s first gold of the Games, which run through December 20 in Bangkok, Chonburi and Songkhla./.
