The 3rd World Vovinam Championship was held at the INJ Academy in Paris, the capital of France, from July 5 to July 7, 2013.
This championship saw the participation of 390 officials, referees, and athletes from 18 countries and territories around the world. The athletes competed for 38 sets of medals, which included:
- Individual male performance (5 categories)
- Male team performance (8 categories)
- Individual female performance (4 categories)
- Female team performance (2 categories)
- Mixed male-female team performance (3 categories)
- 10 male combat weight classes (from 51kg to over 90kg)
- 6 female combat weight classes (from 48kg to over 65kg)
All competitions were overseen by 20 referees.
After three days of competition, the Vietnamese Vovinam fighters secured first place overall, winning 18 gold and 2 bronze medals. Meanwhile, showing significant improvement in both performance and combat categories, the host country France ranked second with 9 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze medals. In addition to the runner-up position, France also won the Style Award.
Algeria placed third with 6 gold, 5 silver, and 6 bronze medals.
The countries ranked in the top ten for medal achievements also included: Romania, Italy, Iran, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Belarus, and Senegal.
Four delegations did not win any medals: Burkina Faso, Denmark, Switzerland, and Japan.
The fact that 14 out of 18 participating countries won medals affirms that Vovinam is a martial art that is increasingly popular and widely developed across the globe.
Overall Team Rankings (by Total Medals) at the 3th World Vovinam Championship
Athletes competing at the championship – Photo synthesis from the press
