She secured two successive international gold medals in the women's under-49 kilograms category in quick succession.

Having won a silver medal in finweight at the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships, Kim Tuyen's experience and skill is now coming to the fore.

She defeated Galina Madvedeva at the Serbia Open on Sunday (October 27), claiming the title in a thrilling encounter.

On her journey to the final, Kim Tuyen defeated Suehada Gueler of Germany in convincing fashion, 34-11.

She also overcame Belarusian Vanesa Markova 19-5 and Russian Arina Puchko 13-6.

But the final was much closer, edging past Russia's Madvedeva 16-15.

The previous week at the Greece Open, Vietnam's number one was also the dominant force.

Kim Tuyen defeated home favourite Anthoula Sinani in another close-run contest, 24-22, to lift the title.  

Kim Tuyen is a Vietnamese athlete who receives focused investment to help her try and get to Tokyo 2020.

In the current World Taekwondo rankings, she sits seventh in the uunder-49kg division on 223.87 points, just 50 short of the Olympic berth.

Her recent outstanding performances will add 20 points to Kim Tuyen's ranking, with two months remaining for her to make the Olympic cut.

Vietnam has just one Olympic taekwondo medal to its name - Trần Hiếu Ngân won silver in Sydney back in 2000 in the women's 49-57kg category.