The Siobhán effect: how the Olympic swimmer has impacted sport in Hong Kong

Future Hong Kong Olympian Siobhán Haughey is 15 years old, waiting to compete at the 2013 World Junior Swimming Championships in Dubai. Her coach, Michael Fasching, has been working with her for three years – helping the young Irish Hongkonger hone what will become a fearsome, world record-breaking freestyle.

At this point, believe it or not, Haughey is just a teenager who isn’t particularly passionate about swimming, despite possessing what Fasching says even then was “tremendous talent”.

“I wanted to become a lawyer or a detective,” says Haughey, who turns 27 this year. 

But she goes on to win gold in the 100m freestyle, clinching Hong Kong’s first-ever medal at the World Junior Swimming Championships. It was the start of a gilded trajectory that would lead, eight years later, to her making Hong Kong history by claiming the city’s first Olympic swimming medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – securing silver Olympic medals in both the 100m and 200m freestyle events.

The city’s performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was its best ever. Haughey and her fellow medallists – fencer Cheung Ka-long, cyclist Lee Wai-sze, karateka Grace Lau and table tennis trio Doo Hoi-kem, Lee Ho-ching and Minnie Soo Wai-yam – returned home as heroes. Suddenly, a city known for being a finance centre couldn’t stop talking about sports. 

In what became termed “the Siobhán effect”, swim clubs across the city saw a boom in sign-ups and young swimmers vied to emulate their new idol.

“I dare to think that it has never been more accepted to pursue a career as an athlete for young citizens of Hong Kong,” says Fasching, who coached the Cathay brand ambassador until she was 17. “She’s given swim schools in Hong Kong more confidence and a role model to inspire and imitate.”

Her star power has radiated beyond her sport: Hong Kong China Women’s Rugby Sevens player Chloe Chan counts Haughey as a role model and notes a “real positive push” among Hong Kong sport associations across all disciplines and greater public engagement with the city’s sporting attainment. “More people are cheering for Hong Kong,” she says.

It’s 28 July 2021. Swimmers and their families and coaches gather at a training hall in Causeway Bay to watch the 200m freestyle final. Haughey waves at the camera, then pulls her goggles on. She dives in, the frisson of electricity felt throughout her home city as she pulls through the water. 

She comes second place by milliseconds to Australian Ariarne Titmus to claim Hong Kong’s first-ever Olympic swimming medal. Some 3,000 kilometres away, the crowd at her swim club, Harry Wright International, goes wild.  

Press footage from the training room shows an eight-year-old swimming student who excitedly says, “[Haughey] used to be here and I’m here now.”

With a silver medal around her neck, Haughey speaks to the cameras – in both English and Cantonese. The newly minted Olympic medallist throws down the gauntlet. “To the athletes watching at home in Hong Kong: keep training, because it will be your turn soon.” 

Her words stoke the fire in Giselle Lee, another Harry Wright swimmer. The 16-year-old, who trains with Fasching and competes for the South China Athletic Association, first met Haughey in 2018 at a talk organised by her club. They would go on to compete together on the same team last year at the Hong Kong Open Championships, where they came third in the 4x100m individual medley relay.

Seeing Haughey’s success has galvanised Lee’s own ambitions to swim at university and represent Hong Kong internationally. “Siobhán’s effect on young athletes is very real,” she says. “Every time my brother and I drive past a billboard or bus with her face on it, we would yell, ‘That’s Siobhán!’ 

“She’s our role model. And it’s really inspiring to have someone from our city be able to achieve such great levels of success. It gives hope for a lot of young athletes, especially female athletes, that their dreams are possible if they keep working at it and maintain the right mindset.”

Rugby Sevens player Chloe Chan adds, “It is hugely important for young girls to have role models like Siobhán. She’s shown that a girl from a small place like Hong Kong can succeed and be among world champions.” 

Haughey is a vocal advocate for encouraging more women to get into sport, yet doesn’t shy away from the tough reality of her career path and the reality of what getting to the very top has involved– both physically and mentally.

She trains from Monday to Saturday year-round, clocking 10 pool sessions a week, interspersed with weightlifting, spinning and yoga. Her current coach, Tom Rushton, films her training and races, then the pair analyse the videos to look for areas to optimise.  

“We’ll see what I can work on to make a tiny difference, like changing my head position slightly, or the timing of my kick,” says Haughey. 

“She always tells us to trust in the process, and focus on small goals at a time,” says Giselle Lee. “She loves saying that in every training session, she’ll focus on one small thing and try to achieve that goal. That’s important for me to remember when I get caught up in looking at my times.”  

Haughey also makes every moment outside of the pool count. She doesn’t believe in superstition, but she always has her nails manicured before a competition. Before international tournaments, she blasts Taylor Swift, watches Cars and Kung Fu Panda to “get into the racing spirit”, and seeks out comfort food like dim sum and bubble tea to stave off homesickness.

When the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics kicks off this month, all eyes will yet again be on Haughey. She now carries the city’s hopes on her back – and the tattoo of the Olympic rings on her shoulder. 

She says of the tattoo, “It reminds me that yes, I’ve had some success in the past, but I still need to keep moving forward and not be complacent with what I’ve achieved.

“There’s so much more that I can do.”

Every move counts

In May, Haughey was named Cathay’s latest brand ambassador in recognition of her success, dedication to swimming and belief that “Every Move Counts”. As Haughey pushes herself to excel in every detail of her sport, Cathay, too, is dedicated to creating extraordinary experiences and memorable journeys for every customer.

“Siobhán is not only a world-class athlete, but she is also a genuine symbol of Hong Kong’s diligent pursuit of excellence on the global stage,” says Cathay Group CEO Ronald Lam. “As we embark on a new journey with Siobhán, we strive to inspire our customers and the people of Hong Kong with our meticulous attention to detail and help them move forward in life.”

Meet the team: cheer on Hong Kong’s athletes in these five events this summer 

1. Cycling

Ceci Lee Sze-wing took home three medals from the Asian Games in Hangzhou last September and is expected to compete as Hong Kong’s only representative in the women’s omnium. 

2. Fencing

Cheung Ka-long will be unmissable as he defends his men’s foil title. But before that, Vivian Kong Man-wai, currently ranked world number one, will compete in the women’s épée as a three-time Asian champion and two-time Olympian.

3. Gymnastics 

Three-time Olympian Stone Shek Wai-hung will compete in the men’s vault. Shek’s impressive results at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup and the 2024 FIG World Cup bode well for his chances this summer.

4. Table tennis

After claiming Hong Kong’s second-ever medal in table tennis at the Tokyo Olympics, athletes like Doo Hoi-kem and Wong Chun-ting are looking to bring home another gong.

5. Badminton

Tokyo bronze medallist Daniel Chan Ho-yuen will be looking to improve his performance in the men’s singles at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Watch the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, streaming live on board with Sport 24.