From left: Sze Hang-yu, Natalie Kan Cheuk-tung, Michael Cheuk Ming-ho and Kenneth To celebrated winning a bronze medal in Mixed 4x50m Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:34.18.The Hong Kong swimming team took one silver medal and three bronzes, and broke four of the city’s records at the Fina Swimming World Cup. The event took place in Singapore between November 15 and 17.
Sixteen-year-old Michael Cheuk Ming-ho earned won the bronze medals in one personal and two relay events. He came third in the Men’s 1,500m Freestyle with the time of 15:01.80, breaking his own Hong Kong record of 15:34.32. Australia’s Mark Horton came first with a time of 14:44.22, and his countryman Jared Gilliland came second, beating Michael by 0.60 seconds.
Michael, who returned to Hong Kong yesterday, told Young Post that he didn’t expect such an improvement of more than 30 seconds. “In fact, I didn’t even think of getting any medals at the World Cup. So I am very happy,” he said. “I’m also really lucky to have such fine teammates in the relay events.”
Michael is now looking forward to next month’s World Championships in Hangzhou, China. “I just want to achieve my personal best, nothing too crazy. I don’t want to give myself too much pressure.”
Tinky Ho Nam-wai, also 16, took the silver in the Women’s 800m Freestyle with a time of 8:35.38, 2.38 seconds behind Dutch gold medallist, Femke Heemskerk, and ahead of Elisbet Gamez Matos from Cuba, who came third in a time of 8:41.88.
Team Hong Kong came third in the Mixed 4x50m Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:34.18. Michael’s teammates were Kenneth To, 26, Natalie Kan Cheuk-tung, 16, and Sze Hang-yu, 30.
The team were 2.61 seconds behind Team Australia who claimed the gold medal, and 1.04 seconds slower than Team Singapore who came second.
Michael and To were also, alongside Toto Wong Kwan-to and Chan Kin-lok, bronze medal winners in the Mixed 4x50 Medley Relay with a time of 1:43.30. Australia and Singapore came first and second respectively.
More Hong Kong records were broken, too, with Michael also breaking the 800m Freestyle record with a time of 8:00.08. Meanwhile, To only came 10th in the Men’s 400m Medley, but broke the record with a time of 4:18.92. Natalie also set a new Hong Kong record in Women’s 100m Medley with the time of 1:01.08.