City ranks fifth in the medal standings with 14 medals, including three gold
Siobhan Haughey (center), gold medalist of the women’s 200m freestyle, celebrates on the podium on Monday alongside her rivals of the national team — silver medalist Li Bingjie (left) and bronze medalist Liu Yaxin. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong continues to make waves at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, as the team added another seven medals to its tally on Monday, including a gold medal and a new Asian Games record in swimming icon Siobhan Haughey’s event.
Other medals include two silvers in wushu, one silver and one bronze in rowing, one silver in swimming, and one bronze in fencing.
READ MORE: HK athletes win four more medals in Hangzhou
With these latest victories, the Hong Kong team has now amassed a total of 14 medals — three golds, four silvers, and seven bronzes — at the Hangzhou Games, propelling the city to the fifth position in the medal standings. It trails behind sporting powerhouses China, South Korea, Japan and Uzbekistan.
Siobhan Haughey reacts after competing in the women’s 200m freestyle at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena on Monday. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)
Haughey, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, clinched the gold medal in the women’s 200m freestyle, and set a new Asian record by touching home in 1 minute, 54.12 seconds. This resounding victory marked her third medal of the 19th Asian Games.
She led two seconds over the second-place swimmer — Li Bingjie of the national team — after establishing an early lead of as least one body length over her competitors.
After the race, Haughey said that her record was not far off from her personal best. She added that she returned to Hong Kong for training immediately after participating in the World Championships six weeks ago and has been continuously practicing since then without a break.
She will compete today in the women’s 100-meter freestyle — another strong event for the 25-year-old.
Silver medalist Samuei Hui Tak-yan is seen in action during the men’s Taijiquan and Taijijian event. Andy Chong/ China Daily
In the men’s 50m freestyle event, Hong Kong swimmer Ian Ho Yen-tou claimed a silver medal and shared the podium with South Korea’s Ji Yu-chan and Pan Zhanle of the national team.
In rowing, Cheung Hoi-lam and Leung King-wan clinched a silver medal in the women’s pairs event, and Chiu Hin-chun earned a bronze in the men’s single sculls.
In wushu, Liu Xuxu claimed a silver medal in the women’s Changquan event, and Samuei Hui Tak-yan won silver in the men’s Taijiquan and Taijijian all-round event.
Hong Kong’s Alessandro Nardoni (left) is tackled by Chinese Taipei players in a quarter-final match, in which Hong Kong men’s team won 42-5. The Hong Kong team will face Japan in a semifinal today. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
Chan Nok-sze clinched a bronze medal in the women’s foil individual fencing.
In addition to its athletes, Hong Kong has also demonstrated its deep involvement in the Asian Games through organization and construction. Visiting the Tonglu Equestrian Centre on Monday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that Hong Kong’s horse racing institutions, experts, and technical personnel have actively rendered support for horse racing events of the Hangzhou Games.
Experts from the Hong Kong Jockey Club have been designated as consultants to the equestrian project management center of the Asian Games. In June, Hong Kong and Hangzhou also signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting the development of horse sports and related industries, Lee said in a social media post.
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Macao secured its first gold medal in the Asian Games on Monday as wushu athlete Li Yi won the final of the women’s Changquan event, becoming the first female champion from Macao in the Asian Games.
