Olympics 2024: Siobhan Haughey on road to Paris as she hits 400m freestyle qualifying time at first attempt
- Hongkonger competing in her first major event in an Olympic-size pool since she won two silver medals at Tokyo Games
- First opportunity to achieve qualifying standard for Paris Games sees her do so comfortably in 400m freestyle, with her favoured 200m still to come
The 25-year-old Hongkonger came second in the final in a time of 4 minutes 5.84 seconds at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, late on Thursday local time.
Although she was beaten by Katie Grimes of the United States, who clocked 4:05.18, Haughey’s time was inside the Olympic “A” standard of 4:07.9 by more than two seconds, as all of the first four finishers earned spots in Paris. It was their first opportunity to do so since the year-long qualifying period began on Wednesday.
The Florida meet represented Haughey’s first appearance in an international event in a long-course 50m pool – the format used at the Olympics – since the Tokyo Games in 2021, when she clinched silver medals in both the 100m and 200m freestyle.
Last year, she was forced to miss the long-course World Championships and the Mare Nostrum Tour after sustaining an ankle injury in a poolside slip during training.
Her time in Fort Lauderdale was also a new Hong Kong record as she sliced almost three seconds off her own previous best of 4:08.64, set in last year’s Hong Kong Open Championships at Victoria Park.
