There was a sense of relief about Hong Kong swimming superstar Siobhan Haughey after she won National Games gold on Thursday.
The four-time Olympic medallist triumphed in her favourite 200 metres freestyle event, touching the wall in one minute, 54.85 seconds. Li Bingjie of Hebei was second in 1:55.67, while Liu Yaxin, representing Zhejiang, rounded out the podium in 1:56.01.
Haughey’s time was her fastest in two days in Shenzhen, though it was still some way short of her Asian record of 1:53.92, which she set in Tokyo at the Olympic Games four years ago.
After a difficult eight months where she took an extended break from the sport and then battled a back injury, Haughey said she was “very satisfied” with her performance, in what was her first National Games.
“It’s a good result and it gives me a lot of confidence for the upcoming Games,” Haughey said. “Every medal is very special, but this one, I think the past eight months have been quite challenging and difficult for me with taking a break and then having an injury.
“So it wasn’t easy, but I’m glad I’m slowly getting back to where I need to be … To return to the peak is not something you could do at the click of a finger. It will take time, but I feel that it’s already a big step forward now. I hope not only will I perform to my previous standard again, but even better.”
