Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey targets world record after swimming second-fastest time in women’s 200m freestyle history

Double Olympic silver medallist clocks 1:50.65 for Energy Standard in the ISL and eyes Sarah Sjostrom’s short-course record of 1:50.43 set four years ago

Hong Kong swimming chief Ronnie Wong says ultimate goal is for Haughey to bring back medals at next year’s Asian Games and 2024 Olympics in Paris

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Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey after winning her race for Energy Standard in the International Swimming League in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 6:21pm, 27 Nov 2021Updated: 8:37pm, 27 Nov 2021

Double Olympic silver medallist Siobhan Haughey is hoping to become Hong Kong’s first-ever swimming world record holder after she recorded the second-fastest time in women’s 200-metre freestyle history in Eindhoven, the Netherlands on Friday.

The 24-year-old, representing her International Swimming League (ISL) team Energy Standard, clocked one minute, 50.65 seconds – also a Hong Kong record – to beat her previous fastest of 1:50.66. Only teammate Sarah Sjostrom has swum faster with her time of 1:50.43 set more than four years ago at the same venue.

Undefeated so far this season, Haughey has a chance to go after Sjostrom’s record at next week’s ISL final with Energy Standard looking to seal the title.

“Coming into this race, I wasn’t really expecting much. I’m a little sick right now, but I guess it doesn’t really matter,” Haughey, who was under world record pace at the halfway and 150-metre marks, was quoted as saying by Swimming World magazine. “I know I can definitely go faster. I still have another week to recover and train a little bit and work on the details, so I’m excited for the final.”

Haughey became Hong Kong’s first Olympic medallist when she claimed the silver medal in her pet event, the 200m freestyle, at the 2020 Tokyo Games, clocking 1:53.92 for an Asian record. Two days later, on July 30, she touched home second in the women’s 100m freestyle in 52.27.

The ISL is a short-course competition using a 25-metre pool whereas the Olympics uses full-sized 50-metre length pools.