Hong Kong, China’s Siobhan Haughey has once again carved her name in Olympic history, securing bronze medals in both the women’s 100m and 200m Freestyle events at the Paris 2024 Games. At 26 years old, Haughey continues to redefine Hong Kong's swimming landscape, solidifying her status as a legendary figure in the nation's sports history.
Haughey made waves at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where she claimed silver in both the 100m and 200m Freestyle, becoming Hong Kong's first-ever Olympic swimmer to win a medal and the first Hong Kong athlete to secure two Olympic medals across any sport. With her latest achievements in Paris, she now stands as the sole Hong Kong athlete to have captured four Olympic medals, making her the most decorated medallist in Hong Kong's history.
"I don’t even know how to describe it, but it’s been really amazing spirit coming here to Paris. Seeing my family, seeing a lot of Hong Kong people and Hong Kong flags in the crowd—it’s just been amazing," Haughey expressed to Hong Kong media overwhelming gratitude for the support she received.
“In Tokyo, we missed the fan interaction and audience, and now I’m getting a lot of that, so it’s been great.”
Haughey’s journey to Olympic glory began in Hong Kong, where she started swimming at the age of four. Born to an Irish father and a Hong Kong mother, her talent was evident from an early age. In 2013, she made a significant mark by winning gold and breaking the meet records in the 100m freestyle at the World Junior Championships. She continued to excel, claiming two silver medals at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
Haughey's collegiate career at the University of Michigan further honed her skills, leading to her Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where she became the first Hong Kong swimmer to advance beyond the heats at the Olympic Games. Her progress continued at the World Championships in Budapest in 2017, where she made another history by reaching the final of the women’s 200m Freestyle, marking a breakthrough moment for Hong Kong swimming.
In recent years, Haughey's dominance in the pool has only grown stronger. She captured world titles at the World Championships (25m) in Dubai 2021 and successfully defended her 200m freestyle title in Melbourne the following year. Her achievements culminated earlier this year with another historic win in the women’s 200m freestyle at the World Championships (50m) in Doha, solidifying her as the first Hong Kong swimmer to clinch a Long Course World Championships title.
During the Paris 2024 Games opening ceremony, Haughey proudly represented Hong Kong as one of the flag bearers alongside Cheung Ka-long, the left-handed foil fencer who secured back-to-back Olympic gold medals in Paris. She described her feelings on Instagram after the special moment.
“Being one of the flag bearers and leading our team into the Olympics as we cruised down the Seine in the rain … it’s one of my greatest honours and something I’ll never forget. This journey to Paris, which started three years ago, has been amazing so far. Swimming has brought me to amazing people and led me to wonderful places. I always say, ‘how is this my life’ because I can’t believe this is my life and I’m living beyond my dreams.”
Siobhan Haughey also made a special appearance at the Champions Park, situated at the base of the Eiffel Tower, where she greeted a crowd of 10,000 enthusiastic supporters who had gathered to honour the Olympic heroes and celebrate her stellar performance at the Paris 2024 Games on Thursday.
Reflecting on her unique experience in Paris, Haughey shared with the media, "This Olympic has been really different because I was a flag bearer and then I’ve just got walk on a runway just now and having all the support that I’ve received in the past few days or honestly in the past few years it’s been really amazing. I think it’s really once in a lifetime opportunity."
Off the pool deck, Haughey graduated from the University of Michigan in 2019 with a degree in psychology and has since pursued a professional swimming career while also serving as a member of the World Aquatics Athlete Committee since 2022.
As she continues to inspire a nation and beyond, Siobhan Haughey's journey from Hong Kong to global swimming stardom stands as a reflection of her unwavering commitment, determination, and pursuit of excellence in sports.