HA NOI — Vietnamese taekwondo martial artist Nguyen Quoc Cuong secured a bronze medal in the second day of competition at the Youth Olympics in Singapore on Monday.
HCM City-born Cuong lost to Nursultan Mamayev of Kazakhstan in the semi-finals of the men's 55kg.
Cuong had defeated Colombia's Munoz Oscar 4-3 in the last qualifying round to reach to semi-finals.
Cuong's medal is expected to boost his team-mate Nguyen Thanh Thao in the women's 55kg where she met Neves Bolivar Sara of Kiribati in the first match yesterday.
Sixteen-year-old Hoang Quy Phuoc, who was a wild card entry in men's 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle, won through the qualifying round of men's 100m butterfly in 54.74 to became the only Southeast Asian athlete to compete in the swimming semi-finals.
But Phuoc, of Da Nang, clocked 54.71 to rank sixth of 13 swimmers from China, France, Italy, Australia, the US and South Korea in the next race and was eliminated.
On Sunday, weightlifter Thach Kim Tuan won Viet Nam's first gold medal when he defeated Chinese Xie Jiawu in the final.
But Nguyen Thien Quoc failed to replicate Tuan's success when he finished only fourth in the men's 62kg with a total lift of 239kg on Monday.
The gold medal went to Kim Song-chol of North Korea with 257kg.
Royal spectator
Monaco's Princess Stephanie is no stranger to the spotlight but she plans to keep a low profile in Singapore, where her daughter Pauline Ducruet is competing.
Ducruet, 16, is representing her country in the women's 3m springboard diving competition.
The princess, the youngest child of former Hollywood actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, said she was in town as a mother, not a royal.
"I am just a good old mum," she said as she watched her daughter train.
"I am here to offer support. I am here for my daughter."
The princess, who has been a singer, swimwear designer and fashion model in her colourful life, said she was more nervous than her daughter, whose competition began on Monday.
"I think probably me, because it means so much to her. They (the athletes) are so young and at the beginning of a career," she said when asked who was more nervous.
"That is what is so great, that they have the opportunity at these Olympic Games to test their skills."
Ducruet began diving four years ago and her dream is to compete at the 20122 London Olympics.
The Olympian spirit runs in the family: her great-grandfather, John Kelly, won three Olympic rowing golds for the US in the 1920s and her uncle, Prince Albert, was a member of Monaco's bobsleigh team in five Winter Olympics.
"I guess we have the Olympics in our blood," said Princess Stephanie, who has witnessed her daughter's sacrifices first-hand and sees her supporting role as crucial.
"Being there and being patient, especially as it is already a difficult age for youngsters," she said.
"They are always doubting their skills and performance. That is where a family is so important. You deal with those moments that every athlete goes through. It is not fine every day."
She added that the Youth Olympics, which involve athletes aged 14 to 18 and are being staged for the first time, were a great vehicle for young athletes to meet and learn from each other.
"It is like a big camp and I see my daughters' eyes and the stars she has in them," she said.
"Of course she wants to make the finals but she wants to enjoy herself and have the best experience of her life, have great memories and make new friends." — AFP/VNS
