Despite Travel Issues, Stephanie Au Clocks Hong Kong 100 Back Record

2019 FINA WORLD CUP #3 – SINGAPORE

• Thursday, August 15th – Saturday, August 17th
• OCBC Aquatic Centre, Singapore
• LCM
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Despite running into travel difficulties that almost sidelined the entire Hong Kong squad, swimmer Stephanie Au clinched a new National Record in the women’s 100m backstroke while competing on day 2 of the World Cup in Singapore.

Au is a 3-time Olympian who also competed at the NCAA level for the Cal Bears. Entering this Singapore stop, the 27-year-old’s personal best in the 100m back rested at the 1:00.38 she led-off with in the women’s 4x100m medley relay at last year’s Asian Games. The relay wound up winning silver there in Jakarta behind Japan.

Au clocked a 100m back time of 1:01.31 in the individual 100m back event at the Asian Games to take the 4th seed before withdrawing from the final.

Tonight, Au powered her way to a new personal best mark of 1:00.22 to lower her own record en route to bronze. Splitting 29.28/30.94, Au finished behind winner Emily Seebohm of Australia and Katinka Hosszu of Hungary, who touched in efforts of 59.43 and 59.48, respectively.

Of special significance for Au is the fact that her 1:00.22 time dips under the FINA ‘A’ cut for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The FINA ‘A’ cut was set at 1:00.25, so Au’s new Hong Kong National Record slides under that marker by .03, giving her an individual event for her 4th Olympic Games.