Young Chinese Women's Badminton Duo Advances to Paris 2024 Olympics Final
Trang Napie
Tue Aug 06 2024
In a stunning turn of events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Badminton tournament, a young Chinese women's doubles pair has secured their spot in the finals after defeating the beautiful Japanese team. Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, aged 20 and 21 respectively, have emerged as one of the youngest women's doubles pairs to reach the pinnacle of the Olympic stage in Paris.
Liu and Tan, relatively new to the international badminton scene with less than two years of high-level competition experience, are on the verge of clinching the coveted gold medal, potentially scripting a fairytale story. Their opponents in the final will be the seasoned Chinese duo of Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan, four-time world champions and Olympic silver medalists, who are on the quest to become legends of the sport.
Despite their youth, Liu and Tan showed no signs of nervousness on the grandest stage of their lives. Their sensational victory over the 2nd-seeded pair from Korea in the quarterfinals was followed by a composed performance against the 3rd-seeded Japanese duo in the semifinals. The decisive moments came in the latter stages of the second set, where Liu and Tan displayed the composure and fortitude needed to overcome the Japanese challenge and keep their dreams of historic gold alive.
"We remind each other that if we lose a point, let it go. That we can do better at the next point. And then we talk about how to play the next point," Liu Sheng Shu expressed. "Now, it's unbelievable, and even more unbelievable that we can play against our teammates in the final."
In the other semifinal, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan from Malaysia fiercely battled against the world number one pair of Chen and Jia, seeking to upset the reigning champions. For Chen and Jia, reaching the final presents an opportunity for redemption following their defeat in the Tokyo 2020 final. They stand as the first women's doubles pair since Ge Fei/Gu Jun to advance to consecutive finals, with the chance to rewrite history.
"I think today's match is really exciting; it's a really tough one," Jia Yi Fan remarked. "We knew they would give their all, and we had to face a lot of challenges. However, we trust each other without any doubt. Whatever the score, we believe that with each other, we can win this match. Tomorrow's match is truly the final one, a bit emotional, like we're walking on different paths (just kidding). What we mean is all we want to do is cherish this moment, focus on the next match, and help each other fulfill the dream."
The stage is set for a thrilling showdown in the women's doubles final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where youth and experience will collide as two Chinese pairs vie for badminton glory. As Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning look to write their names in the annals of badminton history, Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan aim to cement their legacy. The final promises to be a spectacle of skill, determination, and sportsmanship as these talented athletes battle for Olympic gold.