Photo: Felix Wong

Topic

Swimmingi

Given Hong Kong’s location it is hardly surprising swimming is a popular pastime in the city, and success on the world stage has followed in recent years. Double Olympic silver medallist and short course world-record holder Siobhan Haughey is the best of Hong Kong’s athletes in the pool.

Advertisement
  • Once the youngest male swimmer to be included in the US Olympic team in 68 years, Phelps holds 23 gold medals and raked in millions through sponsorships with Omega, Under Armour and Beats by Dre
  • He married his wife Nicole Johnson in 2015 and became a dad for the fourth time in January, welcoming son Nico – as the 2024 Paris Olympics draw closer, here’s what Phelps has been up to

Siobhan Haughey reaches the 100 metres freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships, a day after becoming Hong Kong’s first ever gold medallist with her 200m win.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Siobhan Haughey is dominant in Doha to claim her first ever gold – and Hong Kong’s – in a global championships or Games held in the Olympic-standard format.

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey is into the 100m breaststroke final in Doha and the semi-finals of the 200m freestyle, one of her more favoured events, as she starts her latest tilt at glory.

Lian Junjie and Yang Hao win their third straight world title in synchronised 10-metre platform diving, while twins Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi claim narrow victory in the duet free routine of artistic swimming.

She continues to broaden her repertoire as she adds the city’s 100m breaststroke record to her collection at Victoria Park, beating a mark that had stood since 2009.

Siobhan Haughey reflects on her journey from ‘random girl’ to star, helped by a breakthrough realisation at the Tokyo Olympics, and gives demonstration in the pool at Swim to Dream event.

Over the past decade Hong Kong has invested tens of billions of dollars in its pursuit of sporting success. This series examines where that money has gone, whether it was spent well, and what comes next.  

“Five years ago, the water had a petrol-like smell and there was some rubbish in it. I only encountered some seaweed during my swim this year,” one swimmer says.

Siobhan Haughey sweeps 100m and 200m free finals, to win a total of six World Cup golds, while Kaylee McKeown, who owns all three backstroke world records, makes a full sweep of back events for three triple crowns.

Siobhan Haughey lowers personal best time while claiming silver in sprint race won by Sarah Sjostrom at World Cup stop in Budapest. Australia’s Kaylee McKeown becomes first woman to hold every backstroke world record.

After finishing a close second in the 50m breaststroke final, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey returns to the pool moments later to dominate her preferred 100m freestyle.

Days after breaking the Asian 100m freestyle record in Hangzhou, Siobhan Haughey improves it again in Berlin, beating several of her rivals and inching closer to Sarah Sjostrom’s world best.

Edie Hu swam the English and Catalina channels, and around Manhattan Island to complete one of the hardest challenges in her sport, but it was Hong Kong where she fell in love with the open water.

Siobhan Haughey makes history by winning city’s first ever swimming gold medal at an Asian Games in the 200m freestyle. Her time of 1:54.12 was also a Games record.

17-year-old finishes first in boys’ 200m breaststroke at World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Israel, becoming second athlete from city to win event at competition.

Hong Kong China swimming’s revitalised New World Harbour Race will have 4,000 participants for the first time since 2019, when it is staged on November 12.