Haughey eases into 100m freestyle semis at world championships

Haughey eases into 100m freestyle semis at world championships

The Hong Konger's qualification follows her 200m win, making her the country's first swimming world champion.

Siobhan Haughey qualified for the women’s 100m freestyle semifinals after coming in third behind Shayna Jack and Marrit Steenbergen today.  (AP pic)
DOHA:
Olympic silver medallist Siobhan Haughey eased into the semifinals of the women’s 100m freestyle in Doha today, a day after becoming Hong Kong’s first swimming world champion with her 200m freestyle win.

Haughey, runner-up behind Mollie O’Callaghan in the 100m at last year’s event in Fukuoka, qualified third behind Australian Shayna Jack (53.50s) and Fukuoka bronze medallist Marrit Steenbergen.

World record holder Sarah Sjostrom was entered in the 100m but did not swim. The Swedish veteran told home media earlier this month she is not planning to compete in the event at the Paris Olympics.

With world champion Tatjana Schoenmaker skipping Doha, American Kate Douglass is on track for a second title at the meet, topping qualifying for the 200m breaststroke semifinals.

Douglass, who won the 200m individual medley this week, was runner-up to South African Schoenmaker in the 200m breaststroke last year.

Greece’s Apostolos Siskos is the top seed (1:56.64s) for the men’s 200m backstroke semifinals in a modest field lacking holder Hubert Kos and former Olympic champion Ryan Murphy.

Finland’s Olympic bronze medallist Matti Mattsson topped qualifying for the men’s 200m breaststroke semifinals with a time of 2:09.15s.

Doha will be on world record alert in the evening session later today when China’s Pan Zhanle swims in the 100m freestyle final.

The teenager set the world record of 46.80s on Sunday with his lead-off swim in the relay and will be the strong favourite to win his first individual world title in the event.

American Carson Foster will also bid for his first individual title as top seed for the men’s 200 medley final.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.