Siobhan Haughey’s world record in the women’s 200-metre freestyle has stood for over 1,000 days.
Siobhan Haughey’s ascent in the world of swimming has been extraordinary, having already achieved countless medals and records aged just 26.
Her career reached a new high on 16 December 2021 when, aged just 23, she set a world record in the women’s 200-metre freestyle at the 15th World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Abu Dhabi, with a remarkable time of 1:50.31.
This achievement placed her alongside some of the sport’s greatest athletes, such as Sarah Sjöström and Federica Pellegrini, and confirmed her status as a dominant force in international swimming.
The record has now stood for over 1,000 days.
Haughey had already shown immense talent prior to her world record-breaking swim in 2021. In 2019, Haughey broke through on the international stage at the FINA World Aquatics Championships, finishing fourth in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:54.98 – just missing out on a podium place by two-tenths of a second.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Haughey made history at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. She became the first swimmer from Hong Kong to win an Olympic medal, taking home two silvers: one in the women’s 200m freestyle and another in the women’s 100m freestyle. In her 200m freestyle race, the event she would go on to claim the World Record in, she set a new national record with a time of 1:53.92, a world-class performance against tough competition.
Following her double silver success in Tokyo, Haughey continued to claim podium spots on the world stage, most recently with two bronze medals at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this summer. These medals were again in the women’s 100m and 200m freestyle. These additional medals have cemented her place in history as Hong Kong’s most decorated Olympian, with four Olympic medals and a world record to her name.
Days after winning bronze in the 100m breaststroke at the World Aquatics Championships in February 2024, Haughey finished a body-length ahead of her competition to win the 200m freestyle crown in Doha, Qatar – her first world title. She will no doubt be looking to claim another one at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest in December.