Siobhan Haughey delivered a statement swimming win at China’s 15th National Games, taking the women’s 200m freestyle title in 1:54.85 to claim Hong Kong’s first-ever swimming gold at the event.
The four-time Olympic medallist and 2024 world champion in the 200m freestyle held off Li Bingjie (1:55.67) and Liu Yaxin (1:56.01) for the victory, marking an important step in her return from the back injury that kept her out of the 2024 World Aquatics Championships.
“I’m very satisfied with this result. Standing on the podium shows my current form is quite good, and it gives me a lot of confidence for the upcoming races,” Haughey said, according to Xinhua News.
Haughey also credited her support team for helping make her competitive return to the pool.
“I’ve been helped by many,” the 28-year-old told the South China Morning Post. “The team knows that I’ve been quite nervous about this competition, so they’ve been very supportive - like my coach, my physiotherapist, and teammates. I really want to thank them.
“There have been many ups and downs in the past eight months,” Haughey added. “Luckily, I am surrounded by many who are very supportive, who have made this recovery journey easier. Without them, I would not be able to get today’s results.”
A four-time world champion in the short-course pool, Haughey’s return to competitive form adds momentum to her preparations for next year’s World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m), which will be held in Beijing.
On the men’s side, Zhang Zhanshuo continued his breakout meet by winning the 800m freestyle in 7:46.69, breaking the national junior record and securing his third individual gold following victories in the 200m and 400m freestyle. Fei Liwei and Liu Peixin finished second and third, respectively.
“I haven't reached that high a level yet. I'll keep working hard and stay focused on chasing higher goals,” Zhang told Xinhua News. The 18-year-old is also entered in the 1,500m freestyle and 400m individual medley later in the programme.
Zhang competed for China in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and finished fifth in the 400m freestyle at this year’s World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
Elsewhere in the programme, Xu Fang won the men’s 200m butterfly in 1:54.74, finishing ahead of teammate Wang Xizhe and Chen Juner.
In the newly added men’s 50m breaststroke, Zheng Yinghao secured gold in 26.97, narrowly beating Yan Zibei. Sun Jiajun earned bronze. Notably, Qin Haiyang was disqualified after initially placing third.