Tokyo Olympics: Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey reflects on ‘world record’ and family time after gruelling ISL campaign
- Hong Kong Olympian’s Energy Standard team set world’s best time for 4x100m women’s relay, but it will not be recognised as official record
- The 23-year-old completes successful second stint in the ISL, winning several races, setting Asian records and finishing 10th in MVP standings
Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Haughey will escape lockdown to spend rare time with her family this month as she reflects on her “world record” at the International Swimming League (ISL), while looking forward to preparing for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Haughey has either been in quarantine or lockdown at the Hong Kong Sports Institute since returning last month from Budapest, Hungary, where she helped her team Energy Standard to the final of the ISL.
The 23-year-old was part of the ES women’s team who set a short-course world’s best time of three minutes, 25.37 seconds in last month’s final, but because all four swimmers were from different countries it was not recognised as an official world record by governing body Fina.
Haughey teamed up with Pernille Blume (Denmark), Femke Heemskerk (Netherlands) and multiple world record-holder Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden) to beat the 3:26.53 held by the Dutch women’s team that included Heemskerk.
“I’m going to leave the Sports Institute a few days before Christmas,” said Haughey. “I haven’t seen my family since I left for Budapest, it’s been nine of 10 weeks and I want to go home and spend Christmas with my parents. I haven’t seen the outside world for quite a bit.”