Siobhan Haughey on her NCAA swansong, Tokyo 2020, broccoli and Nick’s House of Pancakes
- Hong Kong swimmer set for her final NCAA championship, then she sets her sights on the World Championships and of course, Tokyo 2020
- Haughey said she’s enjoyed her time in Ann Arbor and is unsure of where she will end up after 2020
The 21-year-old senior phenomenon, gearing up for her final NCAA Division 1 Swimming and Diving Championship, from March 20-23 at the University of Austin, Texas, remembers walking through the campus dining hall in Ann Arbor as a freshman and noticing an odd food item.
“I remember seeing raw broccoli,” said Haughey with a chuckle, who is also one of Hong Kong’s Olympic hopefuls next year in Tokyo. “I remember saying to people, ‘You don’t cook your broccoli?’”
Aside from the cold, leafy plant, Haughey said life in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which has a population of approximately 121,000 people and sits just west of Detroit, has been pretty awesome these past four years. She lives in a house with some of her teammates close to campus and the pool where she trains, and is feeling good heading into her NCAA swansong.
Haughey has qualified for the 200-metre individual medley, the 100m freestyle and her marquee event, the 200m freestyle, in which she holds the national record.
“I’m very excited but it’s also kind of sad at the same time because this will be my last meet representing Michigan,” said the Hong Kong-native. “Right now I’ve been having really good practises and I think I’m ready for it. My coaches and I have been trying to hit certain times, and we have, so I feel good right now.”