Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey has come up short in her bid to defend her women's 100-metre freestyle title at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Melbourne.

The double Olympic silver medalist finished second in Thursday's final behind Emma McKeon of Australia.

Haughey posted a time of 50.87 seconds, 0.1 seconds behind McKeon. Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands was third.

"It was a very tight finish," said McKeon, who anchored the Australian women to a world record in the 4x100m freestyle relay on Tuesday. "To get your hand to the wall first is all that you want really."

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung congratulated Haughey on her medal-winning performance.

"With her unparalleled strength and spirit of striving for excellence, Siobhan Bernadette Haughey has triumphed in the competition," Yeung said in a statement.

"Haughey won a medal in the same category for two consecutive Championships, demonstrating extraordinary capability. I am proud of her outstanding performance and wish her the best in upcoming events."

The Hong Kong swimmer will also compete in the women's 200-metre freestyle in Melbourne. (Additional reporting by AFP)
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Last updated: 2022-12-15 HKT 19:52