Siobhan Haughey continued a largely unchallenged quest to retain her Mare Nostrum Swim Tour title, picking up a fourth gold medal at the second leg in Barcelona on Wednesday.
The Hongkonger cruised to another 100-metre freestyle gold, swimming well within herself to touch the wall in 52.76 seconds, far slower than the 52.55 she posted on her way to winning the same race in France last weekend.
Victory maintains Haughey’s 100 per cent record on this year’s tour, having also won the 200m freestyle and the 100m breaststroke at the first leg in Canet-en-Roussillon.
In a race she led from the start, the 26-year-old was through her first 50m in 25.72 and ultimately finished more than a second faster than Sweden’s Michelle Coleman.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Coleman, who didn’t compete in the first leg in France, finished in 53.87, with Slovenia’s Neza Klancar third in 53.97.
Elsewhere in the pool, Haughey’s Hong Kong teammate Ian Ho Yentou could not build on his impressive bronze medal in the 50m freestyle in France, finishing sixth in Barcelona, in a time of 22.33.
Three-time Olympics medallist Florent Manaudou won in a time of 21.89. In a tight race, where less than a tenth of a second separated silver from sixth, Alessandro Miressi and Kenzo Simons tied for second in 22.24.
The only other Hongkonger to make it into the A finals was Adam Chillingworth, who finished the 200m breaststroke fifth in 2:11.86, well outside the Olympic qualifying time of 2:09.68.
Former world record holder Ippei Watanabe won in 2:07.91, with Japanese compatriot Yu Hanaguruma second in 2:08.59. Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands took bronze in 2:10.07
The Mare Nostrum continues in Barcelona on Thursday, where Haughey will race in the 200m free. The three-part Mediterranean swim meet enters its final stage in Monaco on Saturday and Sunday.
The event is one of the final opportunities swimmers have to secure their place at the Paris Olympics before the qualification window closes on June 23.
Swimmers competing at the Mare Nostrum earn points based on their performance over the three meets that decide the winner of the women’s and men’s trophies.