Hong Kong’s “flying fish,” Siobhan Haughey, stormed to her second gold medal of the 15th National Games on Saturday night, cruising to victory in the women’s 100-meter freestyle final in 52.89 seconds and lifting the city’s total to five golds in competition events.
Racing from lane four at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre’s natatorium, Haughey seized control early with a 25.51-second opening 50 meters before pulling away decisively to touch the wall half a body length ahead of the field.
The win follows her triumph in the 200-meter freestyle, making her the first Hong Kong athlete to secure multiple golds at a single National Games.
She advanced comfortably through Friday’s heats in 54.29 seconds and semifinals in 53.46 seconds, both times topping the field.
She is also the Asian record holder in the event with a personal best of 52.02 seconds.
Haughey will return to the pool tomorrow for the preliminaries of the 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter breaststroke.
This is also Hong Kong's fourth gold medal at the current edition of the National Games.
Her gold medal in the women’s 100-meter freestyle at the 15th National Games not only brought pride to Hong Kong but also earned her a HK$750,000 cash award under the Jockey Club Athlete Incentives Award Scheme.
The Jockey Club has poured more than HK$500 million into supporting the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities, and the 9th National Special Olympic Games across Hong Kong and Guangdong venues, serving as the sole partner organization for the Hong Kong zone.
Its contributions span volunteer programs, citywide community and school promotions, and special viewing experiences for underprivileged groups and youth.
Nearly 100 Jockey Club volunteers also served as group volunteers in the Hong Kong zone.
Hong Kong athletes medaling at these Games qualify for further Jockey Club-funded cash awards through the Hong Kong Sports Institute.
Individual gold medallists receive HK$750,000, silver HK$375,000, and bronze HK$150,000, while team golds earn HK$1.5 million, silvers HK$750,000, and bronzes HK$300,000.
