Tokyo Olympics: Timely boost as Hong Kong women’s medley relay team qualify for Games

Star swimmer Siobhan Haughey proves invaluable as she swims the butterfly leg with team smashing the Hong Kong record in 4 x 100m medley relay

Prodigy Cheuk Ming-ho sets Hong Kong record in 100 metre freestyle and collects fourth Olympic B qualifying standard

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Jamie Yeung Zhen-mei wins the breaststroke in the women’s 4 x 100m medley relay at Victoria Park. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 7:54pm, 30 May 2021Updated: 10:41pm, 30 May 2021

The Hong Kong swimming team saved their best for last as they secured a medley relay ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the eve of the deadline closing on Monday.

At the Division 1 long course competition at Victoria Park swimming pool, one of the qualifying events for the Tokyo Games, a shift in the make-up of the squad worked wonders as the quartet of Stephanie Au Hoi-shun, Jamie Yeung Zhen-mei, Siobhan Haughey and Tam Hoi-lam swam an excellent time of four minutes and 1.77 seconds in the women’s 4x100-metre medley relay.

Hong Kong women's 4 x 100m medley relay team pose for photos after qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

The result not only bettered the decade-long Hong Kong record of 4:03.07 set at the 2009 East Asian Games but also put them in the four best times outside the top 12 finishers at the 2019 World Championships – and a berth to the Tokyo Olympics where a total 16 teams will compete.

Star swimmer Haughey, who shifted from the anchor freestyle leg to butterfly in the third leg, steered the team to victory with an amazing leg of 56.96 seconds.