World Swimming Championships: Hong Kong relay team set city record in 4x50m mixed final

The mixed-relay foursome, including Olympic medallist Siobhan Haughey, finishes seven in final

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Ian Ho helps Li Sum-yiu out of the water as Siobhan Haughey and Ralph Koo check Hong Kong’s time in the mixed 4x50m freestyle relay.

Published: 7:22pm, 13 Dec 2024Updated: 5:46am, 14 Dec 2024

Hong Kong’s relay team set a city record in the final of the mixed 4x50 metres freestyle relay at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Budapest on Friday.

The team finished seventh in one minute and 30.40 seconds. Italy won gold in a close fight for the world title, coming home in 1:28.50. Canada got silver in 1:28.60, and a team of neutral athletes from Russia were third in 1:28.80.

Hong Kong were fourth after the first 50m thanks to Ian Ho Yentou’s time of 21.08 seconds but dropped to eighth when Ralph Koo Yat-ho finished his two laps of the 25m pool in 21.80.

Siobhan Haughey was able to close the gap as she swam the third-fastest 50m of all the third swimmers, touching the wall in 23.52. The 15-year-old Li Sum-yiu swam her 50m in an impressive 24 seconds.

Hong Kong’s Adam Chillingworth and Adam Mak Sai-ting were also in action on Friday and raced together in Heat 5 of the men’s 200m breaststroke.

Qin Haiyang, who holds the long-course 200m breaststroke world record, failed to make the final here. Photo: Xinhua

Chillingworth came home in 2:06.19 to finish fifth, half a second faster than Mak, whose time of 2:06.65 earned him sixth.