Siobhan Haughey’s Olympics heroics just one of many Hong Kong swimming highs in 2024

While the four-time Olympic gold medallist grabs the headlines there has been a lot to celebrate in the water for the city’s athletes.

Reading Time:3 minutes

Siobhan Haughey’s impressive 2024 included winning two bronze medals at the Paris Games to make her Hong Kong’s most successful Olympian ever. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:30am, 31 Dec 2024

It would be very easy, and perhaps a little bit lazy, to write a review on Hong Kong’s 2024 swimming achievements dominated by the exploits of Siobhan Haughey, the most successful athlete the city has ever produced.

So, although Haughey will, of course, be paid her dues, most of this piece will focus on the achievements made by Hongkongers in the water that may not typically have made the headlines.

Still, it would be foolish to start without honouring Haughey’s generational talent, which she showed time and again this year, starting in February when she claimed her first long course world title, winning the women’s 200 metres freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

Fast forward to the Paris Olympics in July and Haughey claimed bronze in the 100m and 200m freestyle, adding to the two silvers she won in the same events in Tokyo in 2021.

After a couple of months off following the Summer Games, Haughey won her fifth world title in December, again conquering her competitors in the 200m free, but this time in a 25m short course pool.

Siobhan Haughey shows off her gold medal she won at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha in February. Photo: Instagram/Siobhan Haughey

The swimming medals did not spot there, as Paralympian Ng Cheuk-yan added a third bronze in the women’s SB6 100m breaststroke at her debut Games.