Hong Kong's Siobhan Bernadette Haughey poses with her silver medal after the finals of the women's 100m freestyle swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 30, 2021.
(JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong's swimming star Siobhan Bernadette Haughey won the silver medal in the women’s 100m freestyle on Friday morning, bagging the SAR's third medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Haughey thanked Hong Kong residents for their support, saying she was touched to learn that many got up early on Friday morning to watch the event
Haughey came in second in 52.27 while Australia's Emma McKeon finished first in 51.96. McKeon's fellow Aussie Cate Campbell, who finished in 52.52, took the bronze.
It is Haughey's second medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She won a silver medal on Wednesday morning in the women’s 200-meter freestyle. She set new Asian records in both the 100m and 200m freestyle events.
In an interview, Haughey thanked Hong Kong residents for their support, saying she was touched to learn that many got up early on Friday morning to watch the event.
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Hong Kong's Siobhan Bernadette Haughey (right) and Australia's Emma McKeon react after winning silver and gold in the final of the women's 100m freestyle swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 30, 2021.
(ODD ANDERSEN / AFP)
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor congratulated Haughey on winning her second medal in Tokyo.
"This is the first time that a Hong Kong athlete has won two medals at the same Olympic Games. Haughey has been making continuous personal breakthroughs and has beaten world-class opponents with brilliant performances in the competitions," Lam said in a statement.
READ MORE: Haughey wins silver, 2nd medal for HK at Tokyo Olympics
"Her remarkable achievement has started a new chapter in Hong Kong swimming. She is highly commended by me and all people of Hong Kong," Lam said.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (first row, third left) watches the women's 100m freestyle competition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games through live TV broadcast with colleagues to cheer for Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, July 30, 2021. (PHOTO/HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai also lauded the Haughey success, noting that she achieved outstanding results again in the Olympics with perseverance.
"Her success will inspire more athletes to pursue their dreams. I wish her glory in her future endeavors in sports and would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to the coaches and supporting team for their contribution."
However, Haughey said she would withdraw from Saturday's semifinals of the women's 50-meter freestyle, citing back injuries.
She clocked a time of 24.75 seconds to finish 15th overall in the heat on Friday evening.
Haughey's mother is from Hong Kong and her father is Irish. Her great uncle Charles Haughey was a former Irish prime minister.
Born in Hong Kong, she has shown massive improvement since her Olympic debut in Rio where she made the semis of the 200-meter freestyle event and swam a time of 1:57.56.
Hong Kong residents in a shopping mall in Tseung Kwan O react after watching a live telecast of Siobhan Haughey winning the silver medal in the women's 100m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympic Games on July 30, 2021. (CALVIN NG/ CHINA DAILY)
She first won the silver medal in the women's 200m individual medley event in the Summer Youth Olympic Games 2014. In the same year, her teams won bronze medals in the women's 4x100m medley relay and the women's 4x200m freestyle relay in the Asian Games.
Hong Kong fencer Cheung Ka-long secured a gold in fencing for the SAR on Monday. It was Hong Kong's first gold medal in the Tokyo Games and also the city's first gold in 25 years.