Ian Ho Earns Olympic A Cut, Hong Kong Record in 50 Free
Ian Ho earned an Olympic A cut and a Hong Kong record in the men’s 50 freestyle this weekend at the Festival of Sport Time Trial.
The event was held at the Hong Kong Sports Institute on Saturday and Sunday. Four swimmers set national records. Ho was recognized as the best male swimmer, while Olympic medalist Siobhan Haughey was named the best female swimmer.
Haughey already has her Olympics set thanks to a stellar performance at the TYR Pro Swim Series in March. At the Hong Kong Sports Institute, she won the 50 free in 24.74 seconds and claimed the 100 free in an Olympic A cut of 53.10. She also downed the Hong Kong record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 58.12 seconds. That erases a standard set by Hannah Wilson at 58.24 and gives Haughey national marks in three strokes plus the individual medley.
Ho delivered a huge swim in the 50 free in prelims to go 21.86, under the Olympic A cut of 21.96. That books a second Olympics for the 25-year-old former Virginia Tech swimmer. He also won the 100 free in 50.07, a B cut for the 2023 World Championships.
Adam Chillingworth joined them in setting a national record. He went 2:11.31 to win the men’s 200 breaststroke, which is a World Champs B cut. Also under Chillingworth’s old record was Adam Mak Sai-Ting, the 16-year-old the runner-up in 2:11.89. Chillingworth also won the 100 breast in 1:02.48, again edging Mak by .11 seconds.
Joining Ho and Haughey with Olympic A cuts was Cindy Cheung after the 16-year-old won the 200 backstroke in 2:10.35. It’s a best time for her by 2.5 seconds. Cheung was second in the 100 back with a time of 1:01.95, a B cut for this 2023 World Championships. Stephanie Au won the women’s 50 backstroke in 28.41 and the 100 back in 1:01.23, both World Championships B cuts.
The fourth national record of the weekend went to Hoi Lam Tam, who won the women’s 50 butterfly in 26.55. That chips .11 seconds off another Wilson record. The time is a B cut for Worlds, missing the auto standard by .23.
Peter Whittington won the men’s 400 IM in 4:26.60, just .06 off the national record he set earlier this month. Camille Cheng posted a Worlds consideration cut in the 200 free in prelims at 2:01.89, then won the event in finals.