HO CHI MINH CITY, March 27  -- Vietnam's reigning Youth Olympics swimming champion Nguyen Thi Anh Vien has been qualified for training support from the U.S. Swimming Federation for the Rio 2016 Olympics, local media reported Friday.

According to coach Dang Anh Tuan, the 19-year-old swimmer has been selected as one of the hopeful athletes to win a medal at the upcoming Olympics.

Vien is among world's top 20 and she is playing for a U.S. club, two conditions that made her qualified for support from the U.S. Swimming Federation, said the coach, adding that Vien was ranked 14th by the International Swimming Federation at the end of 2014, according to local Thanh Nien News.

After two years playing for Saint Augustine Club in Florida, Vien moved to Episcopal last November where she has been jointly coached by Anthony Teeters and Tuan.

She will compete at the 2015 U.S. National Swimming Championships.

Vien won three golds at last year's event in 200 meter women's mixed relay, 400m women's mixed relay, and 200m backstroke.

Born in 1996 in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, Vien is an Olympic and national-record holding swimmer. At the 2012 Olympics, she swam the 200m backstroke and the 400m idividual medley. At the 2014 Asian Games, she garnered Vietnam's first-ever medal in swimming.

As of the end of 2014, she holds the Vietnam records in 14 out of 17 long course individual events.