https://www.scmp.com/rss/519343/feed The latest news on Zhang Yufei, Chinese professional swimmer, including competition news and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Olympic gold medallist Wang Shun had to settle for silver in the 200 metres individual medley on his 2026 season debut, while the 13-year-old sensation Yu Zidi staged a stunning comeback for her third triumph of the China Open Swimming Championships on Sunday. The only athlete born in the 1990s who competed in his final, the 32-year-old Wang qualified fastest in his group from the morning heats. He began the final strongly but faded towards the end and was overtaken by the talented 21-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3347501/yu-zidi-completes-golden-hat-trick-china-open-swimming-championships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3347501/yu-zidi-completes-golden-hat-trick-china-open-swimming-championships?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:04:49 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Siobhan Haughey won women’s 100m freestyle gold by the narrowest of margins, Tang Qianting shattered her own Asian record twice in a matter of hours and there was more glory for teen sensation Yu Zidi on the opening day of the China Open Swimming Championships. Returning to the site of her National Games glory in Shenzhen, Haughey led from start to finish to beat Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan by a hundredth of a second on Thursday, touching the wall at Longgang Universiade Centre Natatorium in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3347155/tang-breaks-own-womens-50m-breaststroke-asian-record-haughey-chasing-100m-freestyle-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3347155/tang-breaks-own-womens-50m-breaststroke-asian-record-haughey-chasing-100m-freestyle-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:10:07 +0000 Stephy Zhang,Daniel Ren Stephy Zhang,Daniel Ren After a year of reflection, Olympic champion Zhang Yufei admitted she wants to become a “great athlete” and “leave records far behind others”. The Chinese swimming star, known as the “Butterfly Queen”, also said that her mindset has shifted from purely chasing numbers to concentrating on performing at her best. The double Tokyo Olympics gold medallist is the most decorated Olympian in Chinese history, with 10 medals across the last two Olympic Games – two golds, three silvers and five... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3340018/quest-greatness-pool-driving-olympic-swimming-champion-zhang-yufei-forward?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3340018/quest-greatness-pool-driving-olympic-swimming-champion-zhang-yufei-forward?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Tom Bell,Harvey Kong,Mike Chan Tom Bell,Harvey Kong,Mike Chan Yu Zidi is only just into her teens, but the young swimming sensation is already a National Games champion – emphatically so, after smashing an Asian record set before she was born to win the women’s 200 metres individual medley on Tuesday. She gave notice of her promise at the summer’s world championships in Singapore, collecting a relay medal and threatening the podium in her individual events. And Tuesday’s medley final in Shenzhen saw her storm to gold for Hebei in two minutes and 7.41... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3332387/national-games-swimmer-yu-zidi-13-breaks-record-set-she-was-born-win-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3332387/national-games-swimmer-yu-zidi-13-breaks-record-set-she-was-born-win-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:37:14 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer China’s best young swimmers have staked their claims for places at the National Games with impressive showings at the National Swimming Championships in Chengdu. On Friday, 18-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo broke the world junior record in the men’s 400 metres freestyle as he clocked in at three minutes and 42.99 seconds to win the event. Liu Peixin was well behind in 3:49.44, but still won silver, while Li Chengyu got bronze in 3:51.52, with the mainland selectors using this event to pick swimmers for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3324591/china-teen-zhang-stakes-national-games-claim-junior-world-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3324591/china-teen-zhang-stakes-national-games-claim-junior-world-record?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer Qin Haiyang claimed China’s first gold medal in swimming events at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Monday, winning the men’s 100 metres breaststroke. And in the women’s 200m individual medley final, China’s swimming prodigy, the 12-year-old Yu Zidi, finished fourth and missed out on a bronze medal by 0.06 seconds. Qin’s medal and Yu’s impressive performance were silver linings in what was a largely disappointing day for Chinese swimmers, as big names missed out on podiums and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3319886/world-aquatics-championships-qin-haiyang-wins-chinas-first-swim-gold-100m-breaststroke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3319886/world-aquatics-championships-qin-haiyang-wins-chinas-first-swim-gold-100m-breaststroke?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:18:41 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan A Chinese pickleball player said it was worth deferring her PhD studies to pursue a professional career in the emerging sport. Long Yufei, who was about to start a biomedical informatics course in the United States, was presented with the opportunity to become a part of the United Pickleball Association’s inaugural Asia Trailblazers Programme. Under the scheme, 12 players across the region will undergo a three-month training stint in the US and, if they impress, will be given a contract as a UPA... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3312569/promising-chinese-player-defers-phd-programme-give-pickleball-career-shot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3312569/promising-chinese-player-defers-phd-programme-give-pickleball-career-shot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jun 2025 02:00:11 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey rounded off the first leg of the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour in Monaco on Sunday with her second gold medal in as many days, winning the 100 metres freestyle. Haughey finished in 53.58 seconds, just ahead of Milou van Wijk, the world relay gold medallist from the Netherlands, who clocked in at 53.76. Italy’s Sara Curtis rounded off the podium with a time of 54.69. Four-time Olympic medallist Haughey was more than 1.5 seconds slower than her best time of last year, 52.33,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3310856/siobhan-haughey-notches-second-win-mare-nostrum-swim-tour-monaco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3310856/siobhan-haughey-notches-second-win-mare-nostrum-swim-tour-monaco?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 03:03:25 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer A clash of generational leading lights is on the cards when the Chinese National Swimming Championships begin in Shenzhen this weekend, with Pan Zhanle on course to race against Sun Yang. Present-day golden boy Pan is poised for his first competition of the year as he aims to follow his show-stealing feats at last year’s Paris Olympics. Sun, who made a similar splash when blazing a trail for China at the London 2012 Games, will continue his bid for rehabilitation after serving a ban for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3310362/pan-zhanle-set-sun-yang-showdown-chinas-olympic-swimming-stars-head-shenzhen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3310362/pan-zhanle-set-sun-yang-showdown-chinas-olympic-swimming-stars-head-shenzhen?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 May 2025 00:30:10 +0000 Olympic champion Zhang Yufei has opened up about how looking at the pool made her feel physically sick, and she took a five-month break from swimming to decide if she even wanted to continue in the sport. But in a post on RedNote on Monday, the double Tokyo Games gold medallist announced, “I’m back”, and said she had set her sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. To mark her return, Zhang competed in the 100m butterfly at the Chinese Spring National Championships in Qingdao on Sunday,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3303669/olympic-swim-champ-zhang-yufei-just-looking-pool-made-me-feel-sick-now-im-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3303669/olympic-swim-champ-zhang-yufei-just-looking-pool-made-me-feel-sick-now-im-back?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:04:19 +0000 China’s swimmers have formed a strong bond with their Hong Kong counterparts at the Swimming World Cup, with Zhang Yufei celebrating her friendship with “the one who gives gifts” and Pan Zhanle suggesting he would like to form a relay team with the city’s swimmers. Hong Kong sent 20 swimmers to compete across the Shanghai, Incheon and Singapore legs of the competition, which started on October 18 and ends on Saturday, with athletes as young as 15 competing in finals alongside China’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3284928/swimming-world-cup-pan-zhanle-suggests-forming-relay-team-includes-hong-kongs-best?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3284928/swimming-world-cup-pan-zhanle-suggests-forming-relay-team-includes-hong-kongs-best?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Nov 2024 08:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey and three of China’s finest will be among a host of Olympic champions and world-record holders competing in the three-leg World Aquatics Swimming World Cup this month. Pan Zhanle, Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei of China will be joined by France’s Leon Marchand in the short-course series, to be staged in Shanghai on October 18 to 20, Incheon from October 24 to 26 and Singapore on October 31 to November 2. Marchand, who this year won four golds at his home Olympics in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3281582/siobhan-haughey-pan-zhanle-zhang-yufei-confirmed-star-studded-swimming-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3281582/siobhan-haughey-pan-zhanle-zhang-yufei-confirmed-star-studded-swimming-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Oct 2024 11:48:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang China champion swimmer Zhang Yufei, also known as the “Butterfly Queen”, has won 10 Olympic medals which makes her the most decorated Games athlete in the country’s history. Zhang’s prowess in the pool and personality have further cemented her place among her huge fan base. Born in 1998 in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province in northwestern China, she excels in the butterfly event, hence the nickname. Zhang has competed in three Olympics and is affectionately dubbed the “Model Worker Sister” by her... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3276579/swim-champion-zhang-yufei-winner-most-medals-china-olympic-history-misses-hometown-soup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3276579/swim-champion-zhang-yufei-winner-most-medals-china-olympic-history-misses-hometown-soup?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 06:00:09 +0000 Zhang Yufei arrived at Paris’ La Defense Arena pool determined to defend not only her Olympic titles, but her reputation, too. Known in her native China as the butterfly queen, Zhang was one of the 23 swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, before being cleared of wrongdoing. Since that incident came to light this year, the Chinese team have been subject to a high number of anti-doping tests and their performances in general have nosedived. Zhang,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3272867/paris-olympics-who-zhang-yufei-chinese-swimmer-battling-rivals-critics-and-fever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3272867/paris-olympics-who-zhang-yufei-chinese-swimmer-battling-rivals-critics-and-fever?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Aug 2024 01:45:10 +0000 I think interesting might be the best way to describe day six at the Paris Olympics. If you were Chinese, then much of it was spent defending Pan Zhanle from attacks on several fronts, or watching the badminton start to reach the exciting stage of proceedings. During normal waking hours, which aren’t exactly conducive to following an Olympics several time zones away, tennis star Zheng Qinwen made history by reaching the final of the women’s singles, and there were gold medals in shooting and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3272865/while-you-were-sleeping-5-things-know-after-drama-zhang-and-fan-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3272865/while-you-were-sleeping-5-things-know-after-drama-zhang-and-fan-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 23:30:10 +0000 This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Download our app to get faster notifications and 14 days of unlimited access. Let’s be honest, today was supposed to be another one of those slightly lighter ones, where we all go to take a breather after the non-stop action of the opening few days. Then China’s Pan Zhanle goes and wins the 100m freestyle in world record time, a rival coach essentially... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3272784/paris-olympics-day-6-pan-zhanle-fallout-continues-butterfly-queen-zhang-defends-crown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3272784/paris-olympics-day-6-pan-zhanle-fallout-continues-butterfly-queen-zhang-defends-crown?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 07:58:21 +0000 Relentless doping tests “seven times a day” were definitely to blame for China’s subpar performances in the pool on Sunday, China star Gao Min said. The comments by Gao, dubbed “China’s diving queen”, sparked another wave of discussion on social media over what many see as the unfair treatment of the country’s swimmers. Chinese athletes have been targeted for drug testing almost four times more than their rivals from other countries in the run-up to the Paris Olympics. “The athletes’... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3272372/paris-olympics-diving-queen-blames-7-times-day-drug-tests-chinese-swimmers-showing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3272372/paris-olympics-diving-queen-blames-7-times-day-drug-tests-chinese-swimmers-showing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2024 18:00:09 +0000 Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei’s bronze medal in the women’s 100-metre butterfly has been met with encouragement and cynicism on social media. United States swimmer Torri Huske clinched the gold medal, with compatriot and world-record holder Gretchen Walsh in second place. Zhang, dubbed China’s “butterfly queen”, won the silver in the event three years ago and was seen weeping after the award ceremony. “Perhaps I’ve pushed myself too hard,” Zhang said. “I did feel a lot of pressure, but I also... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3272304/paris-olympics-zhang-yufeis-swimming-bronze-sparks-sympathy-fury-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3272304/paris-olympics-zhang-yufeis-swimming-bronze-sparks-sympathy-fury-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2024 10:00:21 +0000 China got their Paris Olympics off to the perfect start, picking up the first two gold medals of the opening day, and could add to that tally on Sunday with shooting, archery, judo, skateboarding and canoe slalom podium spots up for grabs. Early leaders in a medal table they have aspirations of topping for the first time since the Beijing Games in 2008, there will be gold to be had in swimming events overnight too. As widely predicted, teenage shooters Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting won the first... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3272154/paris-olympics-chinas-teen-shooting-sensations-grab-gold-vow-just-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3272154/paris-olympics-chinas-teen-shooting-sensations-grab-gold-vow-just-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2024 13:53:26 +0000 Swimmers from China were the most tested athletes in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics with an average of 21 anti-doping tests each – almost four times as much as their US counterparts, World Aquatics (WA) has confirmed. The update was published in a written report by the organisation, just days after Chinese internet users expressed anger over perceived “unfair treatment” following the announcement of the news by a member of the support staff. WA said it had carried out a total 418 tests on all... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3271688/chinese-swimmers-drug-tested-almost-four-times-more-united-states-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3271688/chinese-swimmers-drug-tested-almost-four-times-more-united-states-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:30:11 +0000 The United States and China have finished in the top two spots in the medal table in four of the past five Olympics, but it was only in Beijing in 2008 where the hosts came out ahead. While that trend is expected to continue in Paris, China are projected to win as many as 34 golds, which could see them challenge the US’ position of dominance. The Nielsen’s Gracenote forecast, updated on Monday, has the US winning 39 golds. Should the predictions be accurate, the Americans would match their tally... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3271488/us-china-battle-olympic-gold-medal-dominance-pools-are-key-battlegrounds-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3271488/us-china-battle-olympic-gold-medal-dominance-pools-are-key-battlegrounds-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2024 05:15:08 +0000 The Chinese swimming team were tested for doping almost 200 times in 10 days after arriving in France for the Olympics, a member of support staff said in a since-deleted social media post. Published on Weibo by China swimming team nutritionist Yu Liang, the post complained about the frequency and timing of anti-doping tests conducted by the International Testing Agency (ITA). “We came [for the tests] at six in the morning and during the lunch break – we had nowhere to take a rest but a sofa in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3271261/chinese-swimmers-given-almost-200-drug-tests-10-days-after-arrival-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3271261/chinese-swimmers-given-almost-200-drug-tests-10-days-after-arrival-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2024 14:00:14 +0000 China’s team for the forthcoming Paris Olympics was officially confirmed on Saturday, and it was packed with Games pedigree. The 405 athletes named – one fewer than for the last Games three years ago in Tokyo – included 42 athletes who are already Olympic champions. It also boasted twice as many women as men, with 269 to 136, as the country prepares to challenge the United States for supremacy at the top of the medal table. Together, they will compete in 236 events across 30 sports at the Games... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3270357/chinas-paris-olympics-team-youngest-skateboarder-zheng-twice-many-women-men?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3270357/chinas-paris-olympics-team-youngest-skateboarder-zheng-twice-many-women-men?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2024 11:42:10 +0000 The Chinese Swimming Association (CSA) announced its roster for the coming Paris Olympics on Tuesday, with 11 of the 23 athletes who were revealed to have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs set to compete in July. In April, it was reported that seven months before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), a prescription heart drug that can enhance performance. Almost half of them went on to compete in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3267116/paris-olympics-china-include-11-23-swimmers-who-tested-positive-tmz-roster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3267116/paris-olympics-china-include-11-23-swimmers-who-tested-positive-tmz-roster?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:26:45 +0000 China’s elite swimmers have been in the pool all week at the National Championships putting up 36 Olympic qualifying times, breaking two Asian records and ripping through numerous personal bests. The championships in Shenzhen began just days after news of a doping scandal surrounding the China swim team at the Tokyo Olympics became public. It was reported that 23 members of the squad had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), a prescription heart drug that can enhance... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3260683/records-tumble-chinas-swimmers-hit-olympic-qualifying-times-national-championships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3260683/records-tumble-chinas-swimmers-hit-olympic-qualifying-times-national-championships?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Apr 2024 09:27:14 +0000 Siobhan Haughey added yet another 100m freestyle gold to her collection at the final World Cup meet of the season, and then said she was looking forward to taking a well-earned rest. The Hongkonger won the race for the third time in three weeks, securing second place in the overall rankings in the process. Haughey, who also won three consecutive 200m free finals, clocked 52.24 seconds in Budapest on Sunday, giving her the fifth fastest time in the world this year. After an intense period of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3238853/hong-kongs-siobhan-haughey-wins-100m-free-hat-trick-australian-mckeown-gets-first-world-cup-triple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3238853/hong-kongs-siobhan-haughey-wins-100m-free-hat-trick-australian-mckeown-gets-first-world-cup-triple?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 05:11:31 +0000 Australian Kaylee McKeown said she was “super stoked” after becoming the first woman to hold world records in all three backstroke disciplines by smashing the 50m mark. The 22-year-old clocked 26.86 seconds at the World Cup in Budapest on Friday to better the previous best of 26.98 set by China’s Liu Xiang in 2018. Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, meanwhile, continued her pace-setting trend, lowering her personal best on the way to silver in the 50m freestyle in a time of 24.30 seconds. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3238735/hong-kongs-haughey-sets-new-mark-50m-freestyle-mckeown-becomes-first-woman-hold-every-backstroke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3238735/hong-kongs-haughey-sets-new-mark-50m-freestyle-mckeown-becomes-first-woman-hold-every-backstroke?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2023 03:48:52 +0000 Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Haughey continued her excellent form with a first and a second place at a World Cup meet in Athens on Sunday. An utterly dominant victory in the 100 metres freestyle and a second in the 50 metres breaststroke – not one of her primary events – were added to Saturday’s first place in the 200m freestyle, pushing her medal tally in two World Cup meets to six. She collected two golds and a bronze in Berlin the previous weekend. Haughey was timed at 30.36 seconds in the 50m... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3238083/swimming-world-cup-siobhan-haughey-destroys-elite-field-after-just-13-minutes-rest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3238083/swimming-world-cup-siobhan-haughey-destroys-elite-field-after-just-13-minutes-rest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:24:00 +0000 Fresh from her historic performance at the Asian Games, Siobhan Haughey has shattered two more records, this time at a World Cup meet in Berlin. The Hong Kong swimmer – who won six medals at the Games – put down the fastest 100 metres freestyle time of the year in the German capital, winning in 52.02 seconds on Sunday. Quicker than her silver medal-winning time at the World Championships in July, Haughey broke the World Cup record of 52.34, set in 2019 by Australia’s Cate Campbell. A week after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3237330/swimming-world-cup-siobhan-haughey-follows-asian-games-heroics-2-records-and-inches-closer-sjostroms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3237330/swimming-world-cup-siobhan-haughey-follows-asian-games-heroics-2-records-and-inches-closer-sjostroms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Oct 2023 10:09:50 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Qiang helped bring the Asian Games in Hangzhou to a close on Sunday, as thousands of spectators, athletes and volunteers celebrated two emotion-filled weeks of sporting endeavour. A ceremony once again bursting with colour, and marrying technology with human performance, saluted not only those who had competed on the field and track, in the ring and on the water, but also the host city and Nagoya, Japan, which will come next. The giant torch bearer from the opening ceremony... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3237233/asian-games-2023-curtain-falls-triumphant-fortnight-hosts-china-and-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3237233/asian-games-2023-curtain-falls-triumphant-fortnight-hosts-china-and-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Oct 2023 14:26:38 +0000 Siobhan Haughey swam to silver in the 50 metres freestyle at the Asian Games on Thursday as she continued to lead Hong Kong’s medal charge in Hangzhou. The 25-year-old earned the fifth medal of a fruitful Games for her personally, being edged out in a close duel with Chinese favourite Zhang Yufei. It took a Games record to beat her, too, as Zhang touched first in 24.26 seconds, with Haughey also inside the old record in clocking a personal and city best of 24.34. “The 50m free wasn’t really my... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3236165/asian-games-2023-hong-kong-swimmer-siobhan-haughey-claims-50m-freestyle-silver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3236165/asian-games-2023-hong-kong-swimmer-siobhan-haughey-claims-50m-freestyle-silver?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:36:20 +0000 Siobhan Haughey will race for gold in the 50m freestyle on Thursday after easing through her heats, but will need to get the better of China’s Zhang Yufei in her bid for a third title. The 25-year-old Hongkonger already has the 100m and 200m titles, and finished her qualifying swim in a respectable 24.95 seconds, only for Zhang to then set an Asian Games record in her heat. Zhang, who has two gold medals of her own in the 100m and 200m butterfly, clocked a time of 24.50 seconds to chop 0.03... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3236081/asian-games-2023-hong-kongs-siobhan-haughey-set-titanic-tussle-chinas-zhang-yufei-50m-freestyle-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3236081/asian-games-2023-hong-kongs-siobhan-haughey-set-titanic-tussle-chinas-zhang-yufei-50m-freestyle-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Sep 2023 04:31:17 +0000 Siobhan Haughey added yet another gold medal to the city’s growing tally on Tuesday, and the only question is how many more will come by the time the Asian Games finishes in 12 days. After the 25-year-old’s latest record-setting performance in the pool, this time in the 100m freestyle, the delegation’s medal haul stands at five gold, four silver and 10 bronze in just three days. Hong Kong’s men had earlier added a fourth gold in rugby sevens, on a day when the city’s athletes combined to bring... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3235904/asian-games-2023-hong-kongs-medal-haul-continues-grow-only-questions-how-big-will-it-get?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3235904/asian-games-2023-hong-kongs-medal-haul-continues-grow-only-questions-how-big-will-it-get?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Sep 2023 16:00:25 +0000 Siobhan Haughey got her Asian Games off to a record-setting start on Sunday, claiming bronze in the women’s 50m breaststroke, an event she had previously called “a bit of fun”. The Hongkonger broke her own city record twice on her way to her first medal of the Games, and still had enough left in the tank to help her teammates finish third in the final of the 4x100m freestyle relay. On a day when hosts China dominated in the pool, winning every gold on offer, Haughey’s performance, in an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3235651/asian-games-2023-swimmer-siobhan-haughey-smashes-her-own-hong-kong-record-en-route-bronze-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3235651/asian-games-2023-swimmer-siobhan-haughey-smashes-her-own-hong-kong-record-en-route-bronze-double?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Sep 2023 15:21:10 +0000 The Asian Games officially open in Hangzhou on Saturday, and the hosts will again be expecting to top the medal table when the curtain is brought down on the 19th Asiad on October 8. From the pool to the table tennis court and everywhere in between, a squad boasting 36 Olympic champions among its 886 entrants should add a considerable number of medals to the 3,189 won since the country first entered the Games in Tehran in 1974. Swimmer Qin Haiyang will certainly be among those expected to walk... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3235358/asian-games-2023-swim-star-qin-haiyang-13-year-old-cui-chenxi-10-chinese-athletes-watch-hangzhou?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3235358/asian-games-2023-swim-star-qin-haiyang-13-year-old-cui-chenxi-10-chinese-athletes-watch-hangzhou?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2023 01:00:15 +0000 Chengdu brought the curtain down on the World University Games on Tuesday evening after 13 days of multisport competition that yielded a record medal haul for Hong Kong. The closing ceremony saw the southwestern Chinese city bid farewell to thousands of athletes from more than 150 countries and regions, who had competed in 269 events across 18 sports. Among them were Hong Kong’s largest ever delegation of 142, who duly returned their best performance in the Games’ history. They joined the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3230402/world-university-games-hong-kongs-athletes-savour-record-haul-chengdu-bids-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3230402/world-university-games-hong-kongs-athletes-savour-record-haul-chengdu-bids-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:15:56 +0000 Fencing star Cheung Ka-long added a second gold medal for himself, and a fourth for Hong Kong at the FISU World University Games in Chengdu after guiding the team past France 45-33 in the men’s team foil final on Monday. The 26-year-old became the first Hong Kong athlete to bag two gold medals at a single Games since Siobhan Haughey in Taipei in 2017, when the city’s swimming icon won the 100 metres and 200m freestyle competitions. Olympic champion Cheung’s victory also marked the city’s 12th... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3230289/world-university-games-hong-kong-fencing-star-cheung-ka-long-secures-second-gold-after-mens-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3230289/world-university-games-hong-kong-fencing-star-cheung-ka-long-secures-second-gold-after-mens-team?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:36:45 +0000 Ko Shing-hei overcame Covid-19 to bring home a badminton medal for Hong Kong at the World University Games in Chengdu. The 21-year-old University of Hong Kong student had contracted the virus a week ago after playing on the first day of the team event, and only returned to the court on Friday. Despite the setback, Ko won through to the men’s singles quarter-finals, where he beat China national team member Dong Tianyao at Shuangliu Sports Centre Gymnasium on Sunday. Ko’s 21-12, 21-16 loss in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3230156/world-university-games-ko-shing-hei-beats-covid-19-bring-hong-kong-its-first-ever-badminton-medal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3230156/world-university-games-ko-shing-hei-beats-covid-19-bring-hong-kong-its-first-ever-badminton-medal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Aug 2023 13:39:16 +0000 The women’s table tennis team won bronze on Monday, giving Hong Kong its best medal tally ever at a World University Games. A fifth medal in Chengdu, after the city’s Wushu athletes won one gold, one silver and two bronze, bettered the four medals in total Hong Kong claimed at the 2017 edition in Taiwan. Headlined by Olympians Doo Hoi-kem and Minnie Soo, Hong Kong dominated the group stage, with comfortable wins over Mongolia, Korea and Macau. They then cruised past India 3-0 in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3229576/world-university-games-new-medal-record-hong-kong-after-table-tennis-bronze-chengdu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3229576/world-university-games-new-medal-record-hong-kong-after-table-tennis-bronze-chengdu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2023 04:12:16 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell China claimed gold in consecutive races at the World Aquatics Championships on Monday evening as Qin Haiyang won the men’s 100m breaststroke and Zhang Yufei the women’s 100m butterfly. Qin’s winning time of 57.69 seconds on day two of pool events in Fukuoka made him the second fastest in history, albeit some way off the 56.88 world record of Britain’s Adam Peaty. “That is a pretty good time,” Qin said. “That is my best time. But I can do better. I will catch up to the world record.” Italy’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3228772/world-aquatics-championships-back-back-china-golds-qin-haiyang-becomes-2nd-fastest-history-and-zhang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3228772/world-aquatics-championships-back-back-china-golds-qin-haiyang-becomes-2nd-fastest-history-and-zhang?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:55:43 +0000