200m freestyle champ Siobhan Haughey out of swimming worlds with back injury
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Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey has withdrawn from the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
HONG KONG – Four-time Olympic medallist Siobhan Haughey pulled out of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore with a back injury on July 21, leaving the Hong Kong swimmer unable to defend her women’s 200m freestyle title.
The 27-year-old won silvers in the 100m and 200m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and bronzes in both events at Paris 2024.
“I have pulled out of the world championships in Singapore due to an ongoing back injury,” she posted on social media on July 21.
“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,” added Haughey, who took a four-month break at the beginning of 2025 and has competed only once since.
“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.”
Haughey also won the 200m free at the Doha World Championships in 2024.
She had been entered in the 100m and 200m free in Singapore, where the pool swimming events will take place from July 27 to Aug 3.
“I can’t wait to be back racing on the world stage again,” she said.
“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.”
According to the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong China Swimming Association confirmed that once she has recovered, she would continue her preparations for the National Games in November.
“(Haughey) has been training hard and intensively for the competition, resulting in a back strain,” the association said in a statement, as quoted by the newspaper.
“After careful treatment by a physiotherapist from the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the condition has eased but is still recurring.
“After careful deliberation, the coaching team has concluded that it is not appropriate for Siobhan to participate in high-intensity events at this stage.” AFP
