In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 12 February 1985
- Birthplace
- Quế Võ, Bắc Ninh, Vietnam
- Country
- Vietnam
- Nationality
- Vietnamese
- Known for
- Winning men’s 56 kg silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympics
- Sport
- Weightlifting
- Olympic event
- Men’s 56 kg, Beijing 2008
- Medal result
- Silver with a 290 kg total
- Historic first
- Vietnam’s first male Olympic medallist
Why this life matters
Tuấn proved that Vietnamese weightlifting could reach an Olympic podium, while his later anti-doping sanction remains an important part of the sport’s institutional record.
Timeline
Key moments
Born in Bắc Ninh
Born in Quế Võ on 12 February.
Won Asian Games silver
Reached the men’s 56 kg podium at the Doha Asian Games.
Won Olympic silver
Lifted a 290 kg total in Beijing, two kilograms behind gold medallist Long Qingquan.
Received an anti-doping sanction
Tested positive for oxilofrine at the World Championships and began a two-year period of ineligibility.
Completed the sanction
The IWF ban ended on 18 September 2012.
Vietnam’s first male Olympic medallist
Hoàng Anh Tuấn developed into an international 56 kilogram weightlifter during the 2000s. He won silver at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha before entering the Beijing Olympics as one of Vietnam’s strongest medal prospects.
In Beijing, Tuấn lifted 130 kilograms in the snatch and 160 in the clean and jerk for a 290 kilogram total. China’s Long Qingquan won with 292 kilograms, while Tuấn finished ahead of Indonesia’s Eko Yuli Irawan to become the first Vietnamese man to win an Olympic medal.
Achievement and anti-doping record
The Beijing result gave Vietnam its second Olympic medal after Trần Hiếu Ngân’s taekwondo silver in 2000. It also established weightlifting as one of the country’s clearest routes to an Olympic podium.
Tuấn’s record must also include the anti-doping case that followed. Both samples from the September 2010 World Championships tested positive for oxilofrine, and the International Weightlifting Federation imposed a two-year ban effective from 18 September 2010. The sanction did not alter his Beijing medal, but it interrupted his competitive career and remains relevant to an accurate account of his legacy.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Hoàng Anh Tuấn
- Who is Hoàng Anh Tuấn?
- Hoàng Anh Tuấn is an olympic weightlifting silver medallist. Tuấn proved that Vietnamese weightlifting could reach an Olympic podium, while his later anti-doping sanction remains an important part of the sport’s institutional record.
- What is Hoàng Anh Tuấn best known for?
- Hoàng Anh Tuấn is best known for winning men’s 56 kg silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
- When and where was Hoàng Anh Tuấn born?
- Hoàng Anh Tuấn was born on 12 February 1985 in Quế Võ, Bắc Ninh, Vietnam.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 8 September 2026.
