Southeast Asia’s best Olympics yet

Although Cambodia failed to achieve its very first Olympic medal at this year’s Games, Southeast Asia saw unprecedented success in Rio. The region won more medals than it ever has—a total of 18 medals, five of which were gold. This is in stark contrast to the 2012 Olympic Games, where Southeast Asian countries only secured 10 medals, none gold.

Most medals won by Southeast Asian countries have been in badminton, weightlifting and boxing.

Cambodian taekwondo athlete, Sorn Seavmey, hoped to win the Kingdom’s first medal in the over 67 kg round of 16. But the 20-year-old fell to her much more experienced opponent, Dutch Reshmie Oogink in the first round. Zheng Shuyin from China went on to win the gold. 

Cambodia, along with Timor-Leste, Brunei, Laos and Myanmar, have yet to make it to the Olympic podium.

But, Singapore saw its first Olympic gold medal when 21-year-old Joseph Schooling outswam his idol Michael Phelps in the 100-meter butterfly. Hoang Xuan Vinh of Vietnam also won the country’s first gold medal in the 10-meter air pistol.

As for Cambodia and its first Olympic medal? We’ll have to wait until 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.