Siobhan Haughey stakes claim as Hong Kong’s greatest athlete after fourth Asian Games title

Hongkonger says 100m freestyle title defence has ‘special meaning’ after injuries, need to change training regime in face of age, new rivals

Touching the wall first in 52.45 seconds – ahead of a pack of swimmers at least three years younger – to defend her women’s 100m freestyle title successfully pushed Haughey’s gold medal count at the regional multi-sports bonanza to four, after she also retained the 200m freestyle crown she won in Hangzhou the previous day.

From showcasing to the world her immense talent in the water at the World Junior Championships in Dubai in 2013, the Hongkonger has gone on to scoop medals, one after another, across every major event, for 13 years and counting.

The five-time world champion is the city’s outright leader in Olympic medals with four – two silver and two bronze – from two Games in Tokyo and Paris.