Going all out to prepare for the National Games, Hong Kong's renowned swimmer Siobhan Haughey has withdrawn from the World Championships in Singapore due to injury.

On July 21, according to the Hong Kong Swimming Association of China, Siobhan Haughey has withdrawn from the ongoing Singapore World Aquatics Championships due to injury. Although Haughey herself was eager to compete, she ultimately made the difficult decision to pull out, prioritizing the more significant National Games later this year.

The Hong Kong Swimming Association of China stated in a press release that since last year's World Short Course Championships, Siobhan Haughey has been diligently preparing for this year's World Championships in Singapore. However, her intense training schedule led to a strain in her back. While careful treatment has helped ease the condition somewhat, it has continued to recur. After careful consultation with her coaching team, it was determined that Siobhan is currently not ready to compete in high-intensity events.

"Although Ho Sheung Hei herself had hoped to compete despite her injury, the coaching team, weighing carefully alongside Ho’s personal preference—given that the National Games later this year represent a far more significant event—decided to withdraw from this swimming championship. This decision was made to ensure the athlete can fully recover and arrive at the National Games in peak condition, allowing her to focus entirely on preparing for the upcoming competition."

27-year-old Siobhán Haughey is currently the Asian record holder in both the women’s 100m and 200m freestyle events. Last year at the Doha World Championships, she clinched the gold medal in the 200m freestyle and secured a silver in the 100m freestyle. Additionally, she has repeatedly topped the podium at the Short Course World Championships, claiming multiple golds and silvers in the 100m and 200m freestyle events.

At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Siobhan Haughey won silver medals in both the 100m and 200m freestyle, becoming the first Hong Kong, China athlete to claim two medals at a single Olympic Games. Last year at the Paris Olympics, Haughey once again stepped onto the podium, earning bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m freestyle events.

This year's 15th National Games will be held from November 9 to 21, co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.