Vietnamese gymnast Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien bags a gold medal in the pommel horse event at the 2025 FIG World Challenge Cup held in Bulgaria. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre
Competing against some of the world's top gymnasts, the 2002-born athlete proved his prowess in his strongest discipline.
Although he had previously secured multiple gold medals at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, success at a global level remained elusive.
Heading into the tournament, Thien was not among the top favorites, with more attention placed on teammates Nguyen Van Khanh Phong and Dinh Phuong Thanh.
However, it was Thien who emerged as the surprise star of the Vietnamese team, earning Vietnam’s first gold medal of the competition.
Vietnam’s national gymnastics team coach Truong Minh Sang expressed his excitement on Facebook, posting: “Winning Gold! Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien – Pommel Horse Champion.”
The coach also shared a video of Thien proudly singing the national anthem from the medal podium.
The silver medal in the event went to Kazakhstan’s Zeinolla Idrissov, while the bronze was claimed by Uzbekistan’s Abdulla Azimov.
Thien’s victory was a result of his consistency throughout the tournament.
In the qualification round, he topped the leaderboard with a score of 14,850, outperforming 28 other athletes.
Nguyen Van Khanh Phong (L) secures a silver medal in the men’s rings event at the 2025 FIG World Challenge Cup held in Bulgaria. Photo: Truong Minh Sang
Besides, Phong secured a silver medal in the men’s rings event, adding to the country’s impressive showing at the competition.
The 2025 FIG World Challenge Cup is being held in Bulgaria from Thursday to Sunday.
Vietnam’s delegation includes five athletes, namely Trinh Hai Khang, Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien, Nguyen Van Khanh Phong, Dinh Phuong Thanh, and Do Nam Anh.
