Siobhan Haughey has ‘good chance’ for 2022 Fina World Championships after ‘recovering well’ from ankle injury
- Hong Kong’s double Olympic silver medallist expected to race in Budapest next week, where she is a favourite to win world titles
- ‘We still have to wait until the last minute before we make the decision,’ coach Chen Jianhong says, sounding note of caution
Siobhan Haughey is expected to recover from an ankle injury and compete at the Fina World Championships in Hungary as planned, her Hong Kong team coach said on Friday.
In the absence of Australian pair Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell, the double Olympic silver medallist is the favourite in the 100 metres and 2oom freestyle in Budapest.
Three years ago in South Korea, Haughey became the first swimmer from the city to reach a final at the World Championships, when she finished fourth in the 200m.
Haughey damaged her right ankle when she slipped poolside during an event in Dubai last month, forcing her to miss the Mare Nostrum series, but head coach Chen Jianhong said her prospects for racing next week were good.
“She has been recovering well from her injury and has a good chance of racing in Budapest,” he said. “But of course we still have to wait until the last minute before we make the decision.”
While Haughey looks like being the woman to beat going into the competition, having won two golds and set a world record at the World Short Course Championships in December, there is still the challenge of 18-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan and Shanya Jack to overcome.
Those two Australians lead the world rankings at 52.49 seconds and 52.60s respectively this year. Haughey swam a 52.27 in Tokyo to set the Asian record and it may take a similar time to win gold again.
