At the event, the team, comprising 14 coaches and 50 athletes, led by a team leader and one expert, competed in 36 out of 47 events, securing 12 gold medals, 12 silver medals, and 11 bronze medals. This accounted for 13.8% of the total gold medals and 12.6% of the overall medals for the Vietnamese delegation.

Bui Thi Kim Anh won the women's high jump gold medal for Vietnam at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in December 2025.

The athletics team matched their gold medal count from the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, trailing host nation Thailand by just one gold medal. Female athletes led the charge, securing 9 gold medals, three more than Indonesia.

The male athletes were on par with those from Indonesia and Malaysia, but fell behind Thailand (10 golds) and the Philippines (4 golds).

Following the completion of their gold medal target, the team received VND1 billion from the Vietnam Athletics Federation (VAF) and an additional VND534 million from three sponsors at a recognition ceremony on Dec. 26, six days after the Games closed.

According to VAF, the team’s achievements were largely credited to veteran athletes. The team also introduced promising young athletes ready to take over from the veterans in future international competitions.

"I will reduce some competitions early in 2026 to focus on the events organized by the Federation, the National Sports Festival, and most importantly, the 20th Asian Games in Japan," Ta Ngoc Tuong, a young athlete in the men's 400m, said.

"I am still improving my physical strength and upper body strength to make a breakthrough in the final stages."

At the 33rd SEA Games, the 20-year-old claimed the silver medal in the men’s 400m with a time of 45.53 seconds, just 0.4 seconds behind gold medalist Joshua Atkinson from Thailand. Both times broke SEA Games' record, but were not officially recognized due to a timing system error.

VAF is optimistic about strong performances at the 20th Asian Games in Japan next year.

In addition to Tuong, some performances at the 33rd SEA Games equaled or exceeded those at the 19th Asian Games held in China in 2023, including Bui Thi Kim Anh’s 1.86m high jump and the women’s 4x400m relay team, which finished in 3:25.59. The mixed-gender 4x400m relay team, with a time of 3:15.7, is also a strong contender for the gold medal.

Vietnam left the previous Asian Games empty handed.

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