Adam Chillingworth delivers silver for Hong Kong in Monaco leg of Mare Nostrum Tour
- He earns the city a medal despite the blow of Siobhan Haughey’s last-minute withdrawal through injury
- Second place in 200 metres breaststroke comes in a Hong Kong record time for Chillingworth, weeks before the World Championships
He set a new Hong Kong record in the event’s first leg in Monaco as he captured the city’s first medal of this year’s three-part series.
Chillingworth and Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands, a two-time Tokyo Olympic silver medallist, outswam the rest in the final, with the former clinching silver in two minutes 12.52 seconds behind Kamminga, who clocked 2:10.91.
The time for Chillingworth beat the official Hong Kong mark of 2:13.30 that he set last year. He swam faster still at last month’s British championships, but his 2:12.17 there has yet to be verified by the Hong Kong Swimming Association.
He also swam in the 50m and 100m during the Mare Nostrum weekend, but missed a place in the finals.
Born in Hong Kong before relocating to the United Kingdom with his parents when he was 15, Chillingworth returned to the city in 2019 when he competed in the Hong Kong Open, revealing that he wanted to represent Hong Kong in future competitions and had applied for a Hong Kong passport.
He last year missed out on the Tokyo Olympics’ qualifying time of 2:10.35, but he will get another chance to shine at the World Championships in Budapest next month.
Chillingworth had no time to dwell on his silver medal, with the series’ second leg beginning on Wednesday in Barcelona. It is still unclear whether double Olympic silver medallist Haughey will be fit to compete.
“Whether Siobhan will take part in the second leg, it all depends on the advice from the doctor, and I am optimistic,” Hong Kong head coach Chen Jianhong said.
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Haughey had injured her right ankle by slipping on the poolside floor in Dubai a week ago. An MRI scan revealed that it was a minor injury, but she withdrew from the Monaco leg as a precaution, with the World Championships in mind.
She has entered four freestyle events in Barcelona: the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m.
