Asian Games 2023: Hong Kong’s golden girl Siobhan Haughey ‘honoured’ to keep winning for her city
- Haughey makes history by winning city’s first ever swimming gold medal at an Asian Games in the 200m freestyle
- Racing in front of her parents and plenty of cheering fans, Haughey clocks a Games record 1:54.12 to win
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Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Haughey won the city’s first Asian Games swimming gold ever in the women’s 200 metres freestyle final on Monday, smashing the Games record in the process.
Adding to the excitement at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena was Ian Ho Yentou, who brought home the first swimming medal won by one of the city’s men in 25 years, finishing second in the 50m freestyle.
A day after earning two bronze – in the 50m breaststroke and 4x100m free relay – Haughey returned to the pool for her main event. Some nine hours after a “relaxed” heat, the Hongkonger chopped more than 6½ seconds off her time to clock a Games record one minute, 54.12 seconds.
It was Haughey’s first gold at an Asian Games too, and she said it was an “honour to win the first swimming gold for this city”.
“Obviously, I wanted to smash my personal record [1:53.92] too, it wasn’t really far off in the end.”
The two-time Olympic silver medallist said there was “massive meaning” in her achievement, especially with her parents watching from the stands.
“I did put in a lot of effort for this but you don’t compare different medals, all of them have different meanings,” she said. “The fact that I am competing in China, and there are a lot of Hongkongers supporting me.
“My parents had to watch it on TV during the Tokyo Olympics because they could not travel, so I am really happy to be able to win a medal in front of them.”
Finishing behind the decorated starlet were China’s Li Bingjie, who won gold in Jakarta five years ago in a Games Haughey missed through injury, and Liu Yaxin.
Haughey, whose only previous long-course gold medals from major multi-sports events came at the World University Games in 2017, still has multiple events at the aquatics centre.
Apart from the 100m free on Tuesday, she is also entered in the 50m free and a couple of relays, including the women’s 4x100m medley on Friday, the final day of swimming competition.
And moments before her historic gold, compatriot Ho did something impressive, too.
The Virginia Tech master’s student, who studies mechanical engineering, took 0.2 seconds off his heat time, clocking 21.87 seconds for silver.
South Korea’s Ji Yuchan broke the Games record twice in a day to claim gold in 21.72 seconds. China’s Pan Zhanle took bronze.
Ho’s time was only 0.01 seconds off his personal best and was the city’s first men’s swimming medal since Mark Kwok won bronze in the 400m free in Bangkok in 1998.
“I’m thrilled, it’s anyone’s race out there,” the 26-year-old Ho said. “Anything could happen, anyone could have a bad dive or mess up a finish, so I guess I am lucky to be the second one to put my hand on the wall.
“After 21 years in the sport, and so many years competing for Hong Kong, I am finally able to bring home some honour.”
The Olympian, who attended the Tokyo Games in 2021, said he didn’t “go all out” in the heat, and had realised he could slow down part of the way through.
In other events, Stephanie Au Hoi-shun finished fourth in the women’s 50m backstroke. The 31-year-old was 0.14 seconds shy of a podium place after clocking 28.35 seconds.
China’s Wang Xueer and Wan Letian took the top two spots, while Japan’s Miki Takahashi claimed bronze.
