AU HOPEFUL OF RACING IN PARIS AT ‘LAST GAMES’
Four-time Olympian says she is confident of qualifying for her favoured 100m backstroke event and could also be part of city’s relay team
Hong Kong’s Stephanie Au Hoi-shun is confident of qualifying for the Paris Olympics, but says whatever happens this will be her last Games.
The veteran swimmer, who has held a host of city records and made her Olympics debut at the Beijing Games in 2008, told the Post: “I’m done.”
Au competed yesterday in the 100-metre backstroke at the Hong Kong Sports Institute’s (HKSI) Long Course Swimming Invitational Trial, a race she won in 1:00.88 seconds.
The 31-year-old’s personal best in the event is 1:00.22, the Hong Kong record, which is 0.23 seconds off the Olympics qualifying time. Au also won her 50m backstroke heat in 28.48 seconds but pulled out of Saturday’s final.
“I’ve been swimming for a long time, given that I’ll be 32 this year and my first Olympics was when I was 16, this will be the last big one, so that’s me saying I’m done,” Au said.
“I am pretty satisfied with these two swims [and] scratched out yesterday’s final just to save a little bit more for the 100, because it’s a completely different game when you pass 30. You’ve got to play smart if you want to hit your goal.”
Au said she was training in Australia “on and off” throughout the coronavirus pandemic and moved to Brisbane permanently about six months ago. During her time on the Gold Coast she has been working with Chris Mooney, who guided Australia’s triple world-record holder Kaylee McKeown to three gold medals in backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics.
Au said she had previously broken the crucial 59 seconds barrier but it was outside competitions and during the pandemic.
“I’ve been training away from home because for me there are a lot of distractions [in Hong Kong]. I just really want to focus and try to put everything I can into swimming and try to hit my 100m backstroke gold time and make the Olympics on my own.
“I am confident I can make it happen, that’s why I shipped myself off to Australia, to make it happen.”
The four-time Olympian believes recent performances show her moving in the right direction and she will return to Brisbane for training ahead of taking on some of the world’s best at the Australian Swimming Trials next month.
There is also Hong Kong’s final Olympic time trial event in June, and if Au misses her backstroke goal she could still be part of the squad for the 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay.
One swimmer who has already made it to the Paris Olympics is double silver medallist Siobhan Haughey. On Saturday, she broke Au’s 800m freestyle record in the pool at the HKSI, and said it had been great to catch up with her relay teammates, including Au, who she won bronze with at the Asian Games last year.
“I obviously want more people to qualify for Paris because last time in Tokyo we had a pretty big team and it was really fun having so many people there,” Haughey said, adding that having a large team at big international events could help athletes feel at home.
“You want to see your people in the stands, it makes you less nervous. I’m cheering for all of them and hopefully we have more people going to Paris.”
I am confident I can make it happen, that’s why I shipped myself off to Australia
STEPHANIE AU