HANOI, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Do Thi Ngan Thuong has become the first Vietnamese gymnast in history being selected for competition at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, local newspaper Vietnam News reported Friday.

    Thuong, 19, has been regarded as the best regional gymnast at three consecutive Southeast Asian Games where she gained a total of more than five gold medals. She ranked 12th in the beam and uneven-bar events at the world championships in Qatar recently.

    Vietnam hopes that Thuong will be in the top 10 in the single event at the Games, said Nguyen Kim Lan, head of the Gymnastics Department under the Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Administration.

    Fourteen Vietnamese athletes, including eight Wushu martial artists, three taekwondo fighters, one shooter and one table tennis player, have been selected for the Games.