Fina World Swimming Championships: Hong Kong ‘all inspired to aim higher’ by Siobhan Haughey
- Ng Cheuk-yin targeting more records after claiming three at trials, and says Haughey’s exploits show the squad what is possible
- Haughey leads city’s 16-strong team in Melbourne for short-course worlds, in which she broke a world record and won two golds last year
Haughey, who 12 months ago in Abu Dhabi won gold in the 100 metres and 200m freestyle and broke the world record in the latter, is in the 16-strong squad in her own right, but her influence has had a powerful effect on the rest, according to Ng Cheuk-yin.
Ng, 20, will be one of the busiest of the contingent next week, having qualified for three events in Australia – 50m and 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly – via July’s Hong Kong time trial, smashing city records in all of them. He hopes to lower those three marks again in Melbourne, and also has the 50m butterfly, which he had qualified for previously.
“Seeing Siobhan break a world record and win golds last year proved that nothing is impossible,” Ng said. “We are all inspired to aim higher.”
He, too, made his mark at the 2021 edition by setting five city records, in the 200m backstroke and four relays.
“I’m not sure how many relays I’ll be in this time,” said Ng, who majors in sport management and management at the University of Georgia. “At the very least, I want to break Hong Kong records in all my individual events and hopefully make the semi-finals in both backstroke events.”
