World Aquatics Championships: Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey reaches another final, China’s Pan Zhanle wins gold
- Haughey qualifies second fastest for 100 metres freestyle final, which will take place in the early hours of Saturday, Hong Kong time
- Pan takes gold in the men’s equivalent, having already posted the fastest 100m in history in China’s relay win
Siobhan Haughey eased into the 100 metres freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, a day after becoming Hong Kong’s first ever gold medallist with her 200m win.
She won her 100m semi-final in 52.92 seconds to qualify second-fastest behind the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen early on Friday, Hong Kong time.
A silver medallist behind Mollie O’Callaghan in this race at last year’s worlds, Haughey – who also took Olympic silver in both the 100m and 200m in Tokyo in 2021 – this time need not contend with the Australian, who has skipped the championships.
World record-holder Sarah Sjostrom, the veteran Swede, is also absent. She had entered the 100m but did not swim, and has revealed she does not plan to race in the event at this year’s Paris Olympics.
The final in Qatar was due to take place at two minutes past midnight on Saturday, Hong Kong time.
China’s Pan Zhanle backed up his world record earlier in the week by winning the men’s 100m freestyle.
The 19-year-old had posted the fastest 100m in history with 46.80 seconds in the first leg of China’s gold medal-winning effort in the 4x100 relay.
Four days later, he was a touch slower, with 47.53, but did enough for gold ahead of Alessandro Miressi of Italy and Hungary’s Nandor Nemeth, establishing himself as a leading contender for the Olympics.
“This was very hard,” Pan said. “This is my first [individual] world championship title. I know it’s only the beginning. I will keep moving forward, and let’s meet in Paris.”
Later on Friday, Hong Kong’s Cindy Cheung Sum-yuet finished sixth in her 200m backstroke heat in two minutes, 13.11 seconds. Coming in one of the faster heats, it proved enough to send her into the semi-finals, despite being 2.76 seconds outside the personal best she swam in Hong Kong in April to hit the Olympic qualifying standard.
Ian Ho Yentou was second in his 50m freestyle heat in 21.83 seconds, behind Cameron McEvoy of Australia. McEvoy was the fastest qualifier overall for the semis, with Ho fifth quickest.
Additional reporting by Reuters, Associated Press
