Siobhan Haughey’s Paris Olympics teammate Natalie Kan ready for her ‘most important race’
- Kan finished second in the 100-metre butterfly at the Hong Kong Open Championships but was very much in training mode
Hong Kong’s Natalie Kan Cheuk-tung jets off to Paris to make her Olympic debut in six days, but still has a tough week of training ahead.
Kan competed in the Hong Kong Open Swimming Championships at Victoria Park in the 100 metres butterfly on Saturday, finishing second, before racing in the 100m freestyle heats the following day.
The 22-year-old is expected to represent Hong Kong in the 4x100m medley relay, where she could swim the butterfly, and the 4x100m freestyle in the French capital.
“It was a pretty solid race, but I didn’t taper much for this meet. I’m waiting for the Olympic Games, that’s the most important race,” Kan said after Saturday’s race.
“I’ll most likely [start tapering] next week because we fly on the 22nd. I’m treating this meet like training; it’s another high-intensity training for me.”
Despite the gruelling training sessions Kan has had to endure at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) in the run-up to Paris, the University of Michigan student has enjoyed being back with her teammates.