Chinese Badminton Team Secures Full Participation in Paris Olympics 2024

The Chinese team will become the only badminton team to fully participate in the Paris Olympics 2024-04-16 10:05:42.0 Source: Xinhuanet
Author: Tian Guangyu, Ding Wenxian, Xia Liang

On the 12th, when the Chinese Taipei team Li Yang/Wang Qilin hit the ball off the net, they lost 1:2 to the Malaysian team Wu Shifei/Izuddin, the Chinese team Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi, who also stopped in the quarter-finals final of the Asian Badminton Championships, ahead of their previous Olympic points Advantage, the Chinese team won the second men’s badminton seat at the Paris Olympics. Until now, the Chinese team has become the only team to get all the full seats in the badminton events of the Paris Olympic Games.

The Asian Championships is the final Olympic badminton points tournament in Asia. Before the match, the Chinese team had secured full seats (two seats) in four categories: men’s singles, women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, and one seat in men’s doubles. The most important thing is whether they can be fully competitive in Paris in the battle for the final place in the men’s doubles.

Why is the last spot in men’s doubles full of suspense?

If you want to ask which Olympic badminton champion has the most suspense, it has to be the men’s doubles.

The men’s doubles event in today’s badminton world can be called a “battle of the gods”. year. Zhang Jun, chairman of the Chinese Badminton Association, once lamented: “The world’s top ten doubles players are capable of winning Olympic gold medals.”

According to the rules, if a national (regional) Olympic committee has at least two pairs in the top eight Olympic points, they can get a full quota (two pairs) of participation seats.

Liang Weikeng / Wang Chang, who are third in Olympic points, have locked up a place, and the eighth to 11th places are close in points, and they all have a chance to “press the line” in this competition . Liu Yuchen / Ou Xuanyi, who were ranked eighth before the match, took the initiative. As long as they are not eliminated earlier than other opponents, they can lock in this Olympic seat.

How difficult was it to get this seat?

The competition for Olympic qualification in men’s doubles at these Asian Championships has been full of ups and downs.

On the first day of the race, Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi’s biggest rival, the Indonesian pair Fikri/Maulana, who were ninth in Olympic points, lost 1:2 and withdrew from their ‘ early competition.

Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi, who were in a favorable position, almost went “back” in the first round. They fought hard for three games with the Indian Arjun / Kapila combination, and saved 4 consecutive match points in the last minute before narrowly winning.

Another 4 match points from the opponent, another desperate situation. People can’t imagine the amazing scene in last year’s Sudirman Cup semi-finals, when Liu Yuchen / Ou Xuanyi turned the tide when the Japanese team held 4 match points.

In the second round, against South Korean players Kim Young Hyuk/Wang Can, Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi won one game first and then took the lead at 20:16 in the second game. It was their chance to hold on to 4 match points, but they were saved by their opponents. Fortunately, they fixed the situation in time and won at 22:20.

In this round, their teammates who were fighting for Olympic qualifications and ranked 11th in Olympic points, He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu, withdrew due to injuries. At the moment, the only ones still competing with them for Tokyo Olympic champion qualifications are Li Yang / Wang Qilin, who are tenth in Olympic points.

The semi-finals on the 12th turned out to be a terrible time.

Liu Yuchen / Ou Xuanyi, who started the match first, faced Malaysian male doubles players Chia Ding Feng / Soh Wei Yi. During the game, their advantage in the back court was limited by their opponents, and they were at a disadvantage in the strong competition of the net, losing 0:2 in the end.

Although they lost the game, Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi said calmly, “We have tried our best, so there are not too many regrets. Although (whether we can qualify) depends on other people’s results, our luck has always been good.”

As it turned out, luck was indeed on their side.

Li Yang/Wang Qilin, who appear next, can only hope to qualify for the Olympics if they win. They also tried their best and fought until the game was decided before they lost 19:21.

So far, the Chinese badminton team has secured the full berths in all five badminton events at the Paris Olympics, making up for the regret that there is only one pair of doubles players at the Tokyo Olympics. . With luck and strength, everyone who participates in full quota is a proof of the development of the overall strength of the national feathers in this Olympic cycle, and also makes people have more expectations for national feathers that compete in the Paris Group.

After finding out she had qualified for the Olympics, Liu Yuchen wrote on Weibo: “People must be brave when they all have problems, and be calm when they are troubled. Thank you everyone for worrying about us. Thank you! Paris! We are here!”