Siobhan Haughey Hits Third Straight Asian 100 Free Record, Wins Olympic Silver

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
  • Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
• Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
• Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
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Siobhan Haughey‘s magical 2020 Olympic campaign continued on Friday morning in Tokyo, as the Hong Kong native rattled off a third consecutive Asian Record in the women’s 100 freestyle final en route to winning the silver medal.

Haughey was at the front of the race the whole way, battling head-to-head with Australians Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell, ultimately touching second in 52.27, lowering the Asian and Hong Kong National Record of 52.40 set in the semi-finals.

McKeon won gold in a new Olympic Record time of 51.96, while Campbell picked up the bronze in 52.52.

Haughey, 23, first broke the Continental Record in the preliminaries, putting up a time of 52.70 to erase the previous mark of 52.79 set by Japan’s Rikako Ikee in 2018. She followed with that 52.40 in the semis, and then with her 52.27 in the final, she finishes the meet having dropped a total of 65 one-hundredths compared to her best time coming in. That previous PB stood at 52.92, set in June, which was also the previous Hong Kong National Record.

Split Comparison

Haughey is now tied with Australia’s Bronte Campbell as the sixth-fastest performer ever in the event, and her swim also ties for the 13th-fastest performance ever.

All-Time Performers, Women’s 100 Freestyle (LCM)

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 51.71 – 2017
2. Emma McKeon (AUS), 51.96 – 2021
3. Cate Campbell (AUS), 52.03 – 2018
4. Simone Manuel (USA), 52.04 – 2019
5. Britta Steffen (GER), 52.07 – 2009
6. Bronte Campbell (AUS) / Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 52.27 – 2018/2021
7. –
8. Mallory Comerford (USA) / Penny Oleksiak (CAN), 52.59
9. –
10. Libby Trickett (AUS), 52.62 – 2007

All-Time Performances, Women’s 100 Freestyle (LCM)

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 51.71 – 2017
2. Emma McKeon (AUS), 51.96 – 2021
3. Cate Campbell (AUS), 52.03 – 2018
4. Simone Manuel (USA), 52.04 – 2019
5. Cate Campbell (AUS), 52.06 – 2016
6. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 52.08 – 2017
7. Cate Campbell (AUS), 52.12 – 2019
8. Britta Steffen (GER), 52.07 – 2009
9. Emma McKeon (AUS), 52.11 – 2021
10. Emma McKeon (AUS), 52.19 – 2021
11. Britta Steffen (GER), 52.22 – 2019
12. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 52.23 – 2019
13. Bronte Campbell (AUS) / Simone Manuel (USA) / Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 52.27 – 2018/2017/2021

This marks Haughey’s second medal of the Games, also winning silver in the women’s 200 freestyle two days prior. That performance marked Hong Kong’s first-ever medal in Olympic swimming, now having double-dipped, and also was a new Asian Record of 1:53.92.

As for McKeon, her gold medal-winning time also marked the second performance ever under 52 seconds, trailing only Sarah Sjostrom‘s 51.71 world record set in 2017. Sjostrom placed fifth in a time of 52.68, while 2016 Olympic gold medalist Penny Oleksiak was fourth, setting a new Canadian Record in 52.59.