Hong Kong swimmer Cindy Cheung was on Monday eliminated in the first round of women’s 100m backstroke in the Paris Olympics.

She finished fifth in her heat at the Paris La Defense Arena in 1 min 3.45 secs, which put her 29th among 36 contestants.

The fastest 16 swimmers qualify for the semifinals.

Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith from the United States and Australian Kaylee McKeown are in the top three.

"Even though the time isn't the most satisfactory, I will still say it's a great opportunity, and I'm just grateful that I get to finally say that I've competed in the Olympics," Cheung said.

"In terms of performance, and may be like handling the nerves, I think there's still much to improve on, that I can learn from other more experienced swimmers.

"Yeah, I'm just here as a learning experience and to enjoy my time here."