Vietnam’s National Coach Huang Guohui Dies After Returning from Tokyo Olympics

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Huang Guohui, the head coach of the Vietnam National Team, was found dead in a hotel room in Hanoi on August 11, a week after returning to Vietnam from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. As reported by VNExpress, Huang died while undergoing a 14-day quarantine with other members of the Vietnam Olympic delegation.

Authorities suspect suicide but have not pronounced a definitive cause of death, as they are still investigating the circumstances.

A native of China, Huang has coached in Vietnam since 2003. For the past five years, he has worked at the Can Tho National Sports Training Centre with Nguyen Huy Hoang, the country’s top swimmer. Huang coached Nguyen and Nguyen Thi Anh Vien in Tokyo.

Neither swimmer advanced from heats. Nguyen Huy Hoang competed in the 800 free, placing 20th in prelims with 7:54.16. He also swam in the 1500 free, finishing 12th in 15:00.24. Nguyen Thi Anh Vien competed in the 200 free (26th with 2:05.30) and the 800 free (30th with 9:03.56). It was her third Olympic Games.

Huang, 57, coached Nguyen Huy Hoang to gold in the 800 free at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. Their collaboration also produced silver in the 1500 free and bronze in the 800 free at the 2018 Asian Games, as well as five medals -including three golds- at the SEA Games 2017 and 2019. Nguyen is the Vietnamese National Recordholder in the LCM 400 free (3:48.85), 800 free (7:50.20), and 1500 free (14:58.14), and 200 fly (1:59.59) and the SCM 400 free (3:44.92), 1500 free (14:44.53), and 200 fly (1:57.06).