Five breakout stars of the Hanoi Games
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NOR SARAH ADI, 21
ATHLETICS (MALAYSIA)
She clinched a surprise gold in the women's pole vault with a 4m effort, also a personal best, ending her country's 11-year gold drought in the event. Roslinda Samsu was their last champion, setting the Games record of 4.20m in 2011.
The debutante had come to Hanoi focusing on the 4x100m relay - in which she won a bronze with S. Komalam Shally, Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli and Azreen Nabila Alias - but was given the chance in the pole vault.
She trained for only a month and injured her back the week before the SEA Games but still prevailed.
LE VAN DO, 20
FOOTBALL (VIETNAM)
Vietnam retained their football title largely due to their defenders, who did not concede a single goal in six matches. The standout member of the Golden Star Warriors' defence though, was right wing-back Do, arguably their player of the tournament.
He protected his flank with assurance and was also an attacking outlet. He scored in Vietnam's first game, a 3-0 win over Indonesia, setting the tone for competition. A first national team cap surely beckons.
ALEAH FINNEGAN, 19
GYMNASTICS (PHILIPPINES)
The former US national gymnast won four medals on her Games debut. She led the team to a gold - the country's first in the event in over three decades - while she also won the vault title.
She also picked up silvers in the balance beam and individual all-around categories.
Finnegan had retired from the sport last year after she was not selected for the American Olympic trials for Tokyo 2020. But she decided to return and switched to her mother's nationality earlier this year, so that she could compete in Vietnam.
TEONG TZEN WEI, 24
SWIMMING (SINGAPORE)
He is no stranger to winning gold but the Singaporean took it up a notch this time, as he made his mark as South-east Asia's fastest swimmer.
He became the first man to go below 22 seconds in the 50m freestyle - winning gold in 21.93sec - at the Aquatic Sports Palace in a SEA Games and national record.
Only four men in Asia have swum faster and Teong's effort was quicker than the 2018 Asian Games winning time of 22.11sec.
He also won the 50m butterfly in a Games record, for good measure.
PURIPOL BOONSON, 16
ATHLETICS (THAILAND)
He turned heads with a sprint treble in Vietnam, winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles, the last two in Games records.
Despite his tender age, Puripol already owns the Thai national record in the century sprint. He clocked 10.19sec at March's Thai National Championships, two months after he turned 16.
That time is just 0.04sec off the Under-18 world mark and he is aiming to become the region's first man to go under 10 seconds.
