Tokyo Olympics: Siobhan Haughey doubles up as soaring 100m freestyle swim seals silver
- The 23-year-old puts in another magnificent swim to finish second in the 100m freestyle on Friday morning
- It comes just two days after collecting silver in the 200m freestyle, Hong Kong’s first Olympic medal in the pool
The 23-year-old was attempting to secure a second swimming medal for Hong Kong during the city’s most successful Games campaign.
Haughey swam a sensational 52.27 seconds to touch the wall second – setting another new Asian record – just 0.31 of a second behind Australia’s Emma McKeon, who set a new Olympic record. Fellow Aussie Cate Campbell was third in 52.52.
The Hong Kong star powered to 200m freestyle silver on Tuesday morning, before later smashing the Asian record in her opening heat in the 100m free. She improved on that time again during the semi-finals as she clocked a blistering time of 52.40 seconds.
Friday’s final was an exhibition of the world’s top sprinters. A field replete with some of the best the sport has ever produced included Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, the world record holder, Australian duo Campbell and McKeon, who earlier in the Games scooped 4 x 100m relay gold, and defending Olympic champion Penny Oleksiak of Canada, who finished just outside the medals fourth.
Haughey has rubber-stamped her credentials as one of the finest swimmers in the world at these Games, but claimed it was all a surprise to her. After sealing silver in the 200m free, the University of Michigan alumni said it “felt like a dream” to have won a medal.