Hong Kong’s “king of breaststroke” Adam Chillingworth snatched silver in the Monaco leg of the Mare Nostrum, adding to Siobhan Haughey's gold that marked her comeback in the international field after a three-month career break.
The 27-year-old Hong Kong record holder, who qualified second-fastest in the heats with a time of 2:14.43, finished over three seconds behind Russian swimmer Kirill Prigoda, who joined the competition as a neutral athlete. Prigoda won the race with a time of 2:09.90.
But the rising star reinforced his status as a key breaststroke contender since switching allegiance from Britain in 2023.
Chillingworth’s journey to the Hong Kong team reflects deep personal ties to the city. Born to a British father and a Hong Kong-raised mother, Chillingworth began swimming at age three before moving to England with his family at 14.
It was during a summer break there that he discovered his competitive potential in the pool.
He later balanced geography studies at the University of Plymouth with rigorous training, though his final academic year brought unexpected challenges.
In an interview with Hong Kong media in 2023, Chillingworth recalled struggling with sleepless nights due to deadlines and career uncertainties, which affected his performance in the water.
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated his difficulties when a four-month lockdown left him unable to train. Upon returning to the pool, he felt like a beginner, needing six months to regain his rhythm.
For him, swimming has always been a “safe place” – a sentiment that extends to Hong Kong, where he was born and which he considers his permanent home despite years abroad.
He returned to Hong Kong after obtaining the city’s passport and tattooed the SAR’s floral emblem, the bauhinia, along with the Chinese characters for "forever home" on his back.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s “flying fish” Siobhan Haughey marked her international return with a commanding victory in the women’s 200m freestyle, clocking 1:56.45 after a controlled preliminary swim of 2:01.80.
This marks Haughey’s first medal in international events after she secured her third consecutive 200m freestyle title at the World Aquatics Short-Course Championships in December last year.
The four-time Olympic medalist clocked 1:56.45 to claim gold after a cautious preliminary swim of 2:01.80 earlier in the day.
She finished nearly three seconds ahead of Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko (1:59.20), while Hungary’s Panna Ugrai took bronze in 2:00.96 in the final.
Last year at the same competition, Haughey shattered the meet record with a time of 1:54.53 and collected seven gold medals and one silver across the 2024 edition of the prestigious European tour.
The Mare Nostrum continues with stops in Barcelona between May 21 and 22, and Canet-en-Roussillon, France, on May 24 and 25.
