World Aquatics Championships: Siobhan Haughey’s loss is China’s gain, and DSQ for Adam Chillingworth in final kick for Hong Kong record

Yang Junxuan wins gold and Tang Muhan bronze in 200m freestyle, the event in which Haughey hoped to become Hong Kong’s first long-course world champion

Hong Kong’s misfortune continues as Chillingworth swims faster than city best in 200 metres breaststroke but is disqualified for butterfly kick as he finishes

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Gold medallist Yang Junxuan (centre) is flanked by fellow medallists Mollie O’Callaghan and Tang Muhan in Budapest. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 3:19pm, 22 Jun 2022Updated: 6:18pm, 22 Jun 2022

China dominated the 200 metres freestyle in the absence of Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey at the World Aquatics Championships, as Yang Junxuan won the gold and Tang Muhan the bronze.

Haughey had pulled out of the championships in Budapest because of an ankle injury that she sustained when she slipped on the poolside last month.

The mishap denied the 24-year-old a chance to become Hong Kong’s first long-course world champion. She won a short-course world title last December over the same distance, in which she also took silver at the Tokyo Olympics.

That opened the door for the mainland Chinese duo, and they grabbed their chance in the final late on Tuesday.

Yang finished first in a time of one minute and 54.92 seconds – exactly a second slower than Haughey’s best time in an Olympic-standard 50m pool. Silver went to Mollie O’Callaghan of Australia, in 1:55.22, and Tang was third in 1:56.25.

Yang Junxuan of China on her way to victory in the women’s 200m freestyle final. Photo: Xinhua

That was not the end of the misfortune for Hong Kong. In Wednesday’s early races, Adam Chillingworth was disqualified in his 200 metres breaststroke heat on his final stroke – and he would have broken the Hong Kong record.