Siobhan Haughey's triumphant return to the pool is a testament to her resilience and skill! After a setback due to a back injury, the Olympic medalist has made a powerful comeback at the 2025 Hong Kong Age Group Long Course Championships. This event, held at the Kowloon Park Swimming Pool from October 31st to November 2nd, saw Haughey dominate across multiple events, showcasing her versatility and determination. But here's where it gets exciting...
Haughey competed in the women's 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, and 100m freestyle, achieving victory in each race. This incredible performance is especially noteworthy given her recent recovery from a back injury, which unfortunately forced her withdrawal from this year's World Championships.
Reflecting on her injury, Haughey shared, "I have pulled out of the world championships in Singapore due to an ongoing back injury. I’m sad to miss out on the opportunity to compete against the best in the world, but right now I have to do what’s best for me." She also added, "As elite athletes, we’re trained to push through the pain and fatigue to keep going. Yet at certain moments, the brave and hard thing to do is to take care of your body and wait patiently. Luckily I have an incredible team supporting me 🫶 I can’t wait to be back racing at the world stage again. But in the meantime, I will be cheering for the Hong Kong team 🇭🇰and my friends from afar. Hope to see you all at the pool soon again🐼"
In the 50m breaststroke, Haughey's winning time of 31.08 was more than a second faster than her competitors. Hoi Kiu Lam secured second place with 32.54, followed by Sze Ki Young at 34.09.
The 100m breaststroke saw Haughey claim gold with a time of 1:08.00. She led the race with splits of 32.04 and 35.96. Lam earned silver in 1:12.76, and Chan Tsz Ching took bronze in 1:15.91.
It's worth noting that Haughey's personal bests in the breaststroke events are 30.36 in the 50m, achieved at the 2023 Asian Games and World Cup, and 1:05.92 in the 100m, which earned her a bronze medal at last year's World Championships.
In the 50m freestyle, Haughey clocked in at 25.04 for gold, and in the 100m freestyle, she achieved a solid 53.48. Her split times in the longer sprint were 25.71/27.77, positioning her as the world's number one in the season.
And this is the part most people miss...
Here's a quick look at the 2025-2026 LCM Women's 100 FREE ranking:
- Siobhan Haughey
- Nobuho Matsumoto (JPN) - 54.97
- Heo Yeon-kyung (KOR) - 54.98
- Rio Suzuki (JPN) - 55.01
- Ayumu Mizuguchi (JPN) - 55.15
On the men's side, Ian Ho, a 28-year-old Asian Games medalist, set a new national record in the 100m butterfly. He finished with a time of 53.36, improving on the previous record of 53.38.
What are your thoughts on Haughey's comeback? Do you think she'll continue to dominate in the upcoming competitions? Share your opinions in the comments below!
