Ian Ho's gold medal win at the National Games marks a historic first for Hong Kong's male swimmers. Meanwhile, Siobhan Haughey has qualified for two 50m finals.
Ho clocked in at 21.71 seconds, setting a new Hong Kong record and securing the top spot on the podium. His victory came against a competitive field, including China's Pan Zhanle, the 100m freestyle champion, who finished with a shared bronze in 22.31 seconds. This win represents the first time a male swimmer from Hong Kong has achieved the highest honor at the National Games.
The swimming competitions at the National Games have seen remarkable performances from Hong Kong athletes. Siobhan Haughey, already a celebrated figure as Hong Kong's "flying fish," continues to impress. After a dominant performance in the semi-finals, clocking 53.46 seconds, Haughey competed in the women's 100m freestyle final. Haughey lived up to expectations by winning the 100-meter freestyle final in 52.89 seconds, securing her second gold medal of the Games. Yang Junxuan from Shandong and Cheng Yujie from Jiangxi followed behind her.
Adding to her busy schedule, Haughey is set to compete in two races within five minutes on Monday, having qualified for the finals of both the 50m breaststroke and 50m freestyle events. Prior to these achievements, Haughey won gold in the women's 200-meter freestyle final, marking Hong Kong's first-ever swimming championship title at the National Games. She completed the race in 1 minute and 54.85 seconds.
In other events, Cheung Sum-yuet, a rising star from Hong Kong, qualified for the women's 200m backstroke final, finishing eighth in 2:13.74. In the same event's preliminary rounds, Cheung clocked 2:12.95, securing her spot in the semi-finals. On the men's side, Ho Ian Yentou also made a mark in the 50m freestyle heats, advancing to the semi-finals with a time of 22.62 seconds.
The Hong Kong team has been achieving significant success at the 15th National Games, amassing a total of five medals on Saturday alone. These medals include one gold, one silver, and three bronze in swimming, fencing, and triathlon. The city's delegation has now surpassed its medal count from the previous National Games in 2021, with a total of five gold, one silver, and four bronze medals.
Adam Mak Sai-ting, another local swimmer, earned a bronze medal in the men's 200m breaststroke final, setting a new Hong Kong record of 2 minutes 9.93 seconds. This medal is Mak's first at the National Games. In fencing, Aaron Ho Sze-long won silver in the men's sabre, a historic achievement for Hong Kong fencers in the event. Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan secured a bronze medal in the women's individual épée. In triathlon, Oscar Coggins clinched a bronze medal.
