Hong Kong swimmer Cheung Chi-kit targets sub-minute 100m breaststroke at Asian Games
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong breaststroke swimmer Cheung Chi-kit claimed victory in the men's 50m breaststroke at the Hong Kong Open Swimming Championships held at Victoria Park Swimming Pool on Saturday, clocking 27.62 seconds — just one hundredth of a second slower than the Hong Kong record he set three weeks prior . The competition served as the final tune-up for Hong Kong's Asian Games squad before they depart for Aichi-Nagoya .
Key Points
- Cheung Chi-kit won the 50m breaststroke final in 27.62 seconds, only 0.01 seconds off his Hong Kong record of 27.61 set on August 19 at the Hong Kong Age Group Long Course Swimming Competition at Kowloon Park .
- The 21-year-old had already equaled his own record in the morning heats, but admitted fatigue from also competing in the 200m breaststroke affected his final performance .
- Cheung finished ahead of two former Hong Kong record holders — Hsu I-chi (徐奕祺) who took silver in 28.11 seconds, and Adam Mak (麥世霆) who won bronze in 28.24 seconds .
- Due to Asian Games qualification deadlines, Cheung's 50m breaststroke time only ranks third among Hong Kong swimmers, limiting him to the 100m breaststroke event in Aichi-Nagoya .
- Cheung aims to break Mak's Hong Kong 100m breaststroke record of 1:00.14 set in June, and become the first Hong Kong swimmer to break the one-minute barrier in the event .
Why It Matters
Cheung's emergence adds depth to Hong Kong's swimming prospects at the Asian Games, where the territory has historically struggled to medal in men's breaststroke events. A sub-minute 100m breaststroke would mark a significant milestone for Hong Kong swimming and potentially position him among the continent's elite competitors .
Cheung's emergence adds depth to Hong Kong's swimming prospects at the Asian Games, where the territory has historically struggled to medal in men's breaststroke events. A sub-minute 100m breaststroke would mark a significant milestone for Hong Kong swimming and potentially position him among the continent's elite competitors .