Siobhan Haughey, a prominent swimmer from Hong Kong, is being backed by her coach, Tom Rushton, to break her own world record in the 200m freestyle at the upcoming World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Budapest. Haughey, who leads a 15-member Hong Kong team, has already made a name for herself with four short-course world titles, including two in the 200m and two in the 100m events. Her impressive track record also includes two silver medals at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and two bronze medals at the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics [044d71a3].
Haughey set the short-course world record in December 2021, clocking in at an impressive 1:50.31 seconds. As she prepares for the championships, she will compete in both the 100m and 200m freestyle events, having decided to drop her third event. Her qualifying time for the 200m is 1:51.02, which is nearly a second faster than her nearest rival, indicating her strong potential to reclaim her title [044d71a3].
The 200m final is scheduled for December 16 at 1:26 AM HKT, while the 100m event will take place on December 15 at 12:32 AM HKT, where she will face competition from American swimmer Kate Douglass. Coach Rushton has emphasized that athletes in their late 20s often continue to improve, which adds to the anticipation surrounding Haughey's performance [044d71a3].
In support of local athletes, the Hong Kong China Swimming Association has recently unveiled a HK$1 billion training complex, aimed at enhancing the training and development of swimmers in the region [044d71a3].