‘I’m still the same person,’ says Hong Kong’s multiple Olympic medallist Siobhan Haughey

SINGAPORE – Siobhan Haughey is turning 27 on Oct 31, but the celebrations will have to wait with it also being the first day of the Singapore leg of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup.

The Hong Kong swimmer’s life experiences are vastly different from many others her age. She is a multiple Olympic medallist, a world champion and owns a world record.

While she is unsure of whether she will try to qualify for a fourth Olympics, the routine remains the same for Haughey, who believes success has not changed who she is.

Reflecting on her life, she told The Straits Times: “One thing I’m proud of is that regardless of everything that I have achieved so far, and hopefully more in the future, I’m still me, and I’m still the same person.

“I don’t let the success I have right now get in the way of being a good person or wanting to keep improving and wanting to keep getting better every day.”

Haughey was speaking ahead of a sharing session with the public at the Singapore Management University on Oct 29.

Also at the talk was China’s Olympic and world champion Pan Zhanle, who will also be part of the field competing at the OCBC Aquatic Centre from Oct 31 to Nov 2 for the third and final leg of the Swimming World Cup.

It was not love at first swim for Haughey though. In fact, she often resisted when she had to go for lessons at the South China Athletic Association (SCAA) in Causeway Bay.

But she gradually got more interested in the sport. An SCAA coach noticed her potential, kick-starting a successful career for Haughey, whose father is Irish and mother is from Hong Kong.

At the 2013 world junior championships, she won the 100m freestyle title in a meet record time, and her collection of medals continued to grow.

Then came her first medal at the Olympics – one that she considers the most special – when she took the 200m free silver at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

In doing so, she became Hong Kong’s first swimming Olympic medallist, before adding a second silver in the 100m free two days later.

She said: “I never grew up thinking that I would swim at the Olympics, or I would medal at the Olympics, so I can’t even say it’s a dream come true, because it wasn’t really a dream to me, because sometimes it felt like it was impossible...

“It just gave me a lot of confidence, knowing that I can achieve whatever I want. That was very special.”

At the Paris Games, she picked up bronze in both events, making her the only Hong Kong athlete to have won four Olympic medals.

What made her achievements in the French capital even more memorable was having her family supporting her in the stands at the La Defense Arena, especially after the Tokyo Games took place with no specators owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

After three Olympics, the reigning 200m free world champion has not committed to the 2028 Los Angeles Games, saying she will make a decision after taking a break following the conclusion of the short-course world championships in Budapest in December.

She said: “I still love swimming, and I love the lifestyle that I have. I love travelling around the world for racing and meeting new people. That’s just such a fun part about swimming.

“But as I get older and training is still very intense, I want to make sure I can be able to still train and compete at a high level. If I go to Los Angeles, I want to make sure I’m still at my peak, and I’m not just going there to participate.”