Hong Kong Women Move Into Third Olympic Wildcard Spot in 400 Medley Relay

Division I Long Course Competition (Part 2)

  • Victoria Park Swimming Pool, Hong Kong
  • May 28-30, 2021
  • Long Course Meters (50m)
  • Results (not currently available)

The Hong Kong women have joined the countries moving up into Olympic relay Wildcard spot as the qualification period draws to a close.

There are sixteen countries selected for each relay: the top twelve finishers from prelims at the 2019 FINA World Championships have already earned an automatic qualifying spot for Tokyo Olympics; the four remaining spots go to the next four fastest countries during the qualification period which runs through tomorrow, May 31.

At the Division I Long Course Competition (Part 2) meet on Sunday, the team of Stephanie Au (1:01.25), Jamie Yeung (1:07.94), Siobhan Haughey (56.96), and Karen Tam (55.62) set a new Hong Kong national record with a time of 4:01.77. They broke the previous record of 4:03.07 set in 2009 by Sherry TsaiYvette KongSze Hang Yuand Hannah Wilson.

The time moves Hong Kong into the third Wildcard spot and bumps South Africa down to the fourth spot with a time of 4:01.92. Denmark, who swam a 4:01.97 at last week’s European Championships, were previously in the fourth spot and now fall out of the Wildcard rankings. The Danish swam their time in prelims and were disqualified in finals due to an early take-off.

Hong Kong has already automatically qualified their women’s 400 free and 800 free relays for Tokyo while Au and Haughey have both qualified individually.

The end of the qualification period has provided some drama with respect to the Wildcard qualification. On Thursday the Canadian men moved up three spots as the top Wildcard in the men’s 400 free relay, while on Friday the Greek men moved into the fourth and final Wildcard spot in the men’s 400 medley relay by .01 seconds, bumping Ireland out of the rankings.

The standings for the women’s 400 medley relay:

Rank Country Time
Worlds #1 United States 3:50.40
Worlds #2 Australia 3:53.42
Worlds #3 Canada 3:53.58
Worlds #4 Italy 3:56.50
Worlds #5 China 3:57.11
Worlds #6 Japan 3:58.14
Worlds #7 Sweden 3:58.39
Worlds #8 Great Britain 3:59.38
Worlds #9 Germany 4:00.91
Worlds #10 Netherlands 4:01.42
Worlds #11 Switzerland 4:01.85
Worlds #12 Russia 4:02.26
Wildcard #1 Belarus 4:00.37
Wildcard #2 Finland 4:01.66
Wildcard #3 Hong Kong 4:01.77
Wildcard #4 South Africa 4:01.92
Out #1 Denmark 4:01.97
Out #2 Spain 4:02.38
Out #3 France 4:02.43
Out #4 Poland 4:02.63

 

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Drama King
2 years ago

Yoo.
France is out of the wildcard spots.
Beryl, Bonnet, Henrique, Wattel can form a decent enough team to make it to the Olympics and final 8 will be possible.
Isn’t it ?

maybe?
Reply to  Drama King
2 years ago

They don’t have a good enough breaststroker, their best one right now is only in the 1:08s but with Beryl on back, Wattel on fly and Bonnet on free they probably would make the olympics if they did do a time trial but with a breaststroker that can’t even manage to go under 1:08 and Gasteldello who don’t forget has never been under a minute on back, I would be very surprised if they would make the olympic final.

Jackman
2 years ago

The 200 IM needs Haughey

Torchbearer
2 years ago

This pushes reigning Olympic Bronze medallists Denmark out of the Games….

maybe?
Reply to  Torchbearer
2 years ago

The retirement of Rikke moller Pedersen andd the shoulder injuries and eventual retirement of mie nielsen have really affected them.

Dan Gains
Reply to  Torchbearer
2 years ago

Otteson also not at the same level she used to be

maybe?
Reply to  Dan Gains
2 years ago

Emilie Beckmann is sort of coming through for the Danish on fly and Blume is still on free, it’s only the first 2 legs where they lack

maybe?
2 years ago

56.96 on a relay start is around a 57.4 on a flat start, didn’t know Haughey had that sort of time in her on fly

Last edited 2 years ago by maybe?
Jackson Lee
Reply to  maybe?
2 years ago

She still can qualify for 100 Fly but too much work.

pete kennedy
2 years ago

The question must be asked: Hong Kong – is it an independent country ?

thezwimmer
Reply to  pete kennedy
2 years ago

Hong Kong isn’t, but Taiwan is. Just remember that…

IM FAN
Reply to  thezwimmer
2 years ago

I’m sorry, I believe you mean “Chinese Taipei”

Politics be petty and dumb

Jackson Lee
Reply to  IM FAN
2 years ago

I am agreed with you.

Corn Pop
Reply to  thezwimmer
2 years ago

The land of Bubble Tea.

Last edited 2 years ago by Corn Pop
IM FAN
Reply to  pete kennedy
2 years ago

It’s not. End of story. It is one of two special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China, an arrangement called “One country, Two systems”, in which the governmental and economic structure (in theory, recent developments call this into question) of Hong Kong would be maintained under the sovereignty of the PRC.

The legacy of Hong Kong once being under British sovereignty still lives on with Hong Kong having it’s own passport, and border checkpoints being maintained. But these quirks do not change the fact that Hong Kong is under the full sovereignty of the PRC.

Indeed, Hong Kong is not unique as a national subdivision representing itself at the olympics. For example some overseas territories of the… Read more »

Jackson Lee
Reply to  pete kennedy
2 years ago

China and the U.K. had agreed that China Hong Kong can participate any international sports competition independently. Macau could have been done it also; however, they missed the opportunity.

Rafael
Reply to  Jackson Lee
2 years ago

If they wetre together we could already give The Gold medal for 4×200 to china

Troyy
Reply to  Rafael
2 years ago

They still need another 1:56 or better leg.

Rafael
Reply to  Troyy
2 years ago

I think yufei or Wang can split 1:56 easily, add that to 1:54 legal and bingjie

Jackson Lee
Reply to  Rafael
2 years ago

How they were together?

Alex Dragovich
2 years ago

With the way Haughey has been performing in 2020-21, it would be surprising if she didn’t make the podium in at least one event this Summer. Her consistency and improvement trajectory have been so impressive.

maybe?
Reply to  Alex Dragovich
2 years ago

200 free would be her best shot for a medal, maybe even Gold?

Last edited 2 years ago by maybe?
Jackson Lee
Reply to  maybe?
2 years ago

Any of those three colours is good for me.

Alex Dragovich
Reply to  maybe?
2 years ago

To me she’s definitely in the conversation for a medal of any color in the 200 free. Given her ISL performances I also think a significant drop could be in store for her 100 free, possibly enough to challenge for bronze.

Margalis Stan
2 years ago

Haughey with the free, breast, IM, and now fly!?

Yozhik
Reply to  Margalis Stan
2 years ago

200FR is probably the only her chance for Olympic podium.

Rafael
2 years ago

Given the RO rules HKG can now send The medley and 4×100. For the other relay they would need other swimmer with fina A or another swimmer with B on 200