Hong Kong’s Haughey sets sights on golden finish to Fina World Championships in Melbourne, puts 200m record on line
- Hongkonger targeting fifth medal at short course competition as coach says new record is within 25-year-old’s reach
Siobhan Haughey puts her unblemished 200m record on the line on Sunday at the Fina short course World Championships in Melbourne, with more gold in her sights.
There are not many familiar faces on the starting blocks, with the noticeable absence of two Tokyo Olympic 200m freestyle medallists – Ariarne Titmus of Australia and Penny Oleksiak of Canada – leaving Rebecca Smith of Canada, the silver medallist at last year’s championships in Abu Dhabi, and Chinese newcomer Li Bingjie as Haughey’s main threat.
The 25-year-old Hongkonger began a new chapter at the same event in the United Arab Emirates, touching the wall in a world-record time of one minute, 50.31 seconds, earning the city its first swimming gold medal at the competition.
Now, the double Olympic silver medallist, who already has two gold medals [100m and 200m freestyle] and one bronze [400m] from last year, as well as a silver in the 100m final on Thursday, is fired up to win a fifth medal on the final day of this year’s meet.
“My main target for the meet is the 200m freestyle, that is my focus,” Haughey said.
The Hongkonger had set her sights on success in Melbourne after missing the long course World Championships this summer because of an ankle injury.
