Full of moments of triumph and heartbreak, this Olympic tournament had everything a fan could want: intense drama, passion and romance. In the end you had the feeling that the “right” players were on the podium.
Mixed doubles – romantics gathered!
ZHENG Siwei and HUANG Ya Qiong’s performance was nothing short of spectacular as they went from Tokyo silver to Paris gold without losing a single set. In the final, they clearly defeated KIM Won Ho and JEONG Na Eun and completed their collection of important titles.
After the awards ceremony, things turned romantic when Ya Qiong was ambushed by LIU Yuchen, who got down on one knee, promised to love her forever, and offered her a Darry ring. It was a beautiful moment and an absolute tearjerker.
Yuta and Arisa wanted gold, but in the end they defended their bronze medal well.
Men’s singles: Viktor victorious again
I completely underestimated Viktor Axelsen’s ability to repeat his success in Tokyo. His fitness, tactical skills and will to win were impeccable. Kunlavut Vitidsarn is the reigning world champion and played great throughout the tournament until facing Viktor in the final. He was thrown into the silver zone by the Dane, who never allowed him to get his counterattack going. Viktor was impressive and an absolute credit to badminton in his sporting approach to rivals and his interactions with fans.
LEE Zii Jia traveled to Paris with the aim of winning gold, but in the end had to settle for bronze. When he evaluates his performance, he can be proud of his success. En route to his medal, he defeated Anders Antonsen – one of the pre-tournament favorites – and overtook Lakshya Sen in the bronze medal game. I hope this makes him hungry for stardom in Los Angeles in 2028.
SHI Yuqi came to Paris as the top seed but faltered early and was destroyed by Kunlavut. It was a devastating loss since he had played so well all year. He couldn’t get his game to work.
Men’s Doubles: The dormant champs are reactivated
LEE Yang and WANG Chi-Lin’s victory was like an epic story about superheroes from ancient legends. The mighty champions of Tokyo have been VERY low profile over the last three years, but they heard the call of gold and reignited the fire at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena. After negotiating their exit from Group D, it began to look as if their gold medal tie was unbreakable; and despite a tough ride through the finals, they ultimately defeated LIANG and WANG over three sets and defended their title.
Aaron CHIA and SOH Wooi Yik’s fight for bronze was tough. They were pushed to the brink of defeat by Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen, but were able to fight their way back into the game and ultimately claim victory. The Danes deserve credit for a strong tournament, even if there was no medal in the end.
Women’s doubles
CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan relentlessly pursued Olympic gold and like their compatriots in XD, the rise of Tokyo silver was well deserved. Her aggression and precision overwhelmed her opponents, who were unable to stop her from reaching the top of the podium. It turned out that it was almost pneumonia that ruined their campaign when it was revealed that Yi Fan had been in hospital shortly before the Games and was unable to train. Their resilience and determination to get back on the court with their partner was rewarded as they triumphed over LIU Sheng Shu and TAN Ning in the final.
In the fight for the bronze medal, Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida emerged victorious over Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan. Despite the Malaysian’s valiant effort, the Japanese duo stepped up their game when it mattered most and secured a place on the podium.
Women’s singles
AN Se Young came onto the court as the hot favorite for gold despite struggling with injuries since the last Asian Games. Her mental resilience and versatile game led her through a tough battle to the final with unbreakable self-confidence. In the final, she defeated SE Bing Jiao, becoming the first Korean woman to win this Olympic title since BANG Soo-Hyun in Atlanta. Given her current form, it’s easy to imagine her dominating women’s singles for years to come.
Veterans Ratchanok Intanon and TAI Tzu Ying were both competing in their fourth Olympics. After May’s victory over her close friend Tzu Ying, TAI revealed that her injuries were so severe that she doubted she would even be able to take the field. May was eventually beaten by Gregoria Tunjung, who went on to win bronze and is ready to fight hard for titles in the years to come.
Top takeaways
The Olympics have traditionally been a showcase for sporting excellence and this tournament showcases achievement in all areas. There was an unmistakable poignant tension and the feeling of it being the end of an era during some of the games in the arena. Some of this generation’s outstanding players are running out of time to become Olympic champions. Carolina’s heartbreaking semifinal exit highlighted the fine line between triumph and disaster in sports. The younger generation will get more chances to shine and should use the disappointment in Paris to boost the performance in LA.
If you liked this, check out my celebration of MayTAI. the El Classico of the badminton world https://techpulsehub.uk//2023/04/09/tai-tzu-ying-ratchanok-intanon-maytai/
If you are a fan of Malaysian badminton, here are two websites you will like: https://badmintoniacs.wordpress.com/. Or try Shuttlehard, which you can find on social media channels.
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