Veteran Cate Campbell of Australia came third in 53.78, while Rikako Ikee of Japan, another top swimmer from Asia, finished seventh in 55.27. It was the first overseas competition for the 22-year-old after returning to the pool in 2021 following her battle with leukaemia.
Japan’s Rikako Ikee with one of the six gold medals she won at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Photo: Kyodo
Ikee did take bronze in the 50m butterfly in 25.89, behind Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom’s 25.24, and Melanie Henique of France, who finished in 25.77.
The two Asian swimmers are expected to clash at the regional Games in Hangzhou this summer, with Haughey targeting a first swimming gold for Hong Kong. Ikee won six events at the Asian Games in Jakarta when it was last held in 2018.
Haughey’s new season-best mark also ranks as the third-fastest time in the world this year behind Australians Mollie O’Callaghan (52.63) and Shayna Jack (52.64).
The double-Olympic silver medallist also entered the 50m breaststroke but after finishing 10th overall in the heats in 31.53 did not start in the B final.
In the men’s 200m breaststroke, Benson Wong reached the final while his two Hong Kong team counterparts, Adam Chillingworth and Adam Mak Sai-ting, were in the B final.
Wong came seventh in 2:16.91, but Mak and Chillingworth dominated their race, finishing first and second in 2:15.22 and 2:15.43 respectively.
Before the race, Hong Kong head coach Chen Jianhong said they were not looking for results at the meet, but improvement from their recent training programmes as they build up for the World Championships in Fukuoka in July.
The three-leg tour will continue in Barcelona on Wednesday before the final stop in Monaco over the weekend.
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