To see all of our 2019 Swammy Awards, click here.
2019 ASIAN FEMALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: SIOBHAN HAUGHEY (HONG KONG)
Siobhan Haughey (photo: Jack Spitser)
Siobhan Haughey broke several Hong Kong Records in 2019, including 4 in long course. Haughey has 3 records that stand from the 2019 Mare Nostrum Tour: the 50 free, 100 free, and 400 free. She broke her own 200 free record at the 2019 FINA World Championships, coming up just a tenth shy of the Asian Record in the process. She was 2 tenths away from the podium, taking 4th in that event.
She was a star during the ISL’s inaugural season. Haughey broke multiple Asian and Hong Kong Records in short course meters while swimming for the DC Trident (though we don’t know yet how many will be confirmed). Her Asian Records came in College Park, where she broke the marks in the 50 breast and 200 free. She also broke the Hong Kong Records in the 50 free and 100 free there. Her 200 IM Records stands from the ISL meet in Indianapolis.
Haughey also had success at the 2019 NCAA Championships, taking 3rd in both the 100 and 200 freestyles. She was the Big Ten Champion in those events and set a Big Ten Conference Record in the 100 free. Just a month after the NCAA meet, she cemented her spot at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with FINA ‘A’ standards in the 100 and 200 freestyles at the 62nd Festival of Sport in Hong Kong.
Haughey becomes the first swimmer outside of the Japanese and Chinese* powerhouses to win this award.
*Hong Kong is part of China, but competes independently in international sport.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
In no particular order
- Ye Shiwen (CHN)- Ye, the 2012 Olympic Champion in the 400 IM, cemented her comeback at 2019 Worlds. After winning 3 events at Chinese Nationals, Ye earned her first major international medal since 2012 when she took silver in the 200 IM. She also went on to take silver in the 400 IM.
- Wang Jianjiahe (CHN)- At 16 years old, Wang took down the Asian Record in the 800 free at Chinese Nationals. She earned her first major long course international medal at 2019 Worlds with a bronze in the 1500 free. Wang had broken the Asian Record in that event earlier in the year at the Pro Swim Series stop in Des Moines.
Previous Winners:
- 2013 – Aya Terakawa, Japan
- 2014 – Ye Shiwen, China
- 2015 – Kanako Watanabe, Japan
- 2016 – Rie Kaneto, Japan
- 2017 – Li Bingjie, China
- 2018 – Rikako Ikee, Japan
- 2019 – Siobhan Haughey, Hong Kong
Woohoo!!! Congrats Siobhán!!
Go Hong Kong !! Go Haughey !
How is she able to swim for Michigan AND DC Trident? Doesn’t she lose her collegiate status when accepting money to swim as a pro?
Swim dad, you are confused. She graduated from the school and is a pro swimmer now. She wishes she could still represent the fighting wolves, but the trident has amazing fans.
My top 5:
1)Ye Shiwen. 2)Wang Jianjiahe. 3)Yui Ohashi. 4)Siobhan Haughey. 5)Reona Aoki.
Good choice. Yet further, no Yui Ohashi for honorable mention?