bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

James Porteous

Hong Kong teenager Siobhan Haughey made history at the Olympic Aquatics centre as she became the first local swimmer to take part in a Games semi-final in the modern era.
Haughey – just 18 – took on some of the best in the world in the women’s 200m freestyle.
She was up against Katie Ledecky, the American phenomenon, and Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom – both of whom had set world records the night before – as well as the reigning world record holder in the event, Federica Pellegrini.
WATCH: golden moments on Day 3 at Rio Olympics


Was Michael Phelps’ latest gold medal a victory for Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Having qualified for the semis in ninth place, she missed out on a place in the final, finishing sixth in 1:57.56, but can count herself as one of the fastest Olympians in the world – and will surely be back and approaching her peak at Tokyo 2020.
WATCH: Siobhan Haughey gets ready for her debut in the Olympics


Sjostrom won the heat in 1:54.65. Ledecky qualified in second, with Pellegrini in third.
Born and raised in HK, former St Paul’s Secondary School student Haughey has an Irish father and Chinese mother.
She just finished her first year at the University of Michigan – where US superstar Michael Phelps trains – and was voted swimmer of the championships at she helped her college win the prestigious Big 10 championships for the first time in years.
UMich coach Mike Bottom – assistant coach to the all-powerful US team here in Rio – said before the Games she could be an outside chance for a medal, and another three years under his tuition will hopefully have her contending in Tokyo.
Hong Kong’s only other swimmer to have raced among the 16 fastest was Cheung Kin-man, way back in 1952, as part of HK’s first Olympics team.




Tsunami-hit Tonga’s oiled-up Olympic flag bearer Pita Taufatofua raises over US$340,000 in disaster aid

Former Chinese volleyball star Wei Qiuyue donates Olympic gold medal to country’s sports museum

Liu Xiaotong retires: Chinese Olympic volleyball champion to become a coach, saying ‘the thing I missed most was my passion’

Rio 2016 race walk champion Liu Hong retires after fourth place in National Games

Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Brave Siobhan Haughey bows out at semi-final stage in Rio Olympic 200m freestyle

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey finished sixth in the semi-finals. Photo: Reuters

2016 Rio Olympics - Swimming - Preliminary - Women's 200m Freestyle - Heats - Olympic Aquatics Stadium - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 08/08/2016. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) of Hong Kong and Katerine Savard (CAN) of Canada react. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

2016 Rio Olympics - Swimming - Preliminary - Women's 200m Freestyle - Heats - Olympic Aquatics Stadium - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 08/08/2016. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) of Hong Kong reacts. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

Sport

Hong Kong

The Hongkonger finished sixth with a time of 1:57.56 in the same heat as Katie Ledecky and Sarah Sjostrom
