After a year-long postponement, the Tokyo Olympics are finally underway. Gen.T honouree Siobhan Haughey, one of Hong Kong’s top medal hopes at the Games, talks tactics, training and competing in the time of Covid
In Rio de Janeiro five years ago, Siobhan Haughey became the first female swimmer from Hong Kong to qualify for the semi-finals at any Olympic Games.
In Tokyo, the 23-year-old hopes to go one step further and win Hong Kong’s first swimming medal at the Olympics.
Along with fellow Gen.T honourees Sarah Lee Wai-sze and fencer Vivian Kong, Haughey represents one of Hong Kong’s best chances of reaching an Olympic podium this summer.
But her preparations, like those of most athletes, have been significantly disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Virtual sessions with a coach half the world away, home workouts under lockdown and training in a lake in freezing temperatures are just some of the obstacles Haughey has had to overcome on her way to Tokyo 2020.
She talks to Gen.T about overcoming whatever life throws at you to hit your peak performance when it matters.
See also: Meet The Gen.T Honourees Competing In The Tokyo Olympics