Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey underlines Olympic gold potential with dominant 100m free win in France
- City’s swim star lays down second best time of the season to beat reigning world champion Marrit Steenbergen
- Mare Nostrum Swim Tour now heads to Barcelona, with Haughey in action again on Wednesday
Siobhan Haughey underlined her status as an Olympic gold medal favourite with another dominant win in the pool on Sunday.
The Hongkonger swept aside her opposition in the 100m freestyle on the final day of the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour event in France, touching the wall in a time of 52.55 seconds.
Haughey finished a full second ahead of Marrit Steenbergen, who came out on top when the pair raced in the same event at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha in February.
France’s Beryl Gastaldello, who took gold in the 50m freestyle the day before, finished in third with a time of 53.89, slower than the 53.77 she posted to be fastest in the heats.
Victory was Haughey’s third in three races in Canet-en-Roussillon, having won the 100m breaststroke and 200m freestyle events 24 hours earlier. Her time on Sunday was her second best of the season, after the Hong Kong record 52.02 she posted during a World Cup series meet in Berlin.
With three events across three countries in nine days there is little time for recovery, and Haughey will be racing in the 100m in freestyle and breaststroke again on Wednesday in Barcelona, with her first race scheduled for 11.25pm Hong Kong time.