**** Notable Players Advancing in Badminton Olympic Paris 2024 Qualifiers
Leon To
Sat Jul 27 2024
The Badminton Olympic Paris 2024 qualifiers have concluded, with 174 athletes securing their spots for the prestigious event. Among them are some significant names and stories that have caught the attention of badminton enthusiasts worldwide.
A total of 166 regular quota places (83 male and 83 female) were up for grabs, along with 3 universal berths from the IOC Tripartite Commission (two male and one female). Additionally, a spot was allocated to IOC Refugee Olympic Team athlete Dorsa Yavarivafa, who was confirmed to participate earlier this month, and one extra slot for a French men's doubles pair due to a scoring error by the BWF.
Due to no host spots being available in the men's singles event, as French athletes qualified based on merit, one male and one female slot were reallocated to the next eligible players. Only one of the two reserved slots for the women's singles event was distributed, with the remaining slot returning to the reallocation pool.
Pablo Abian of Spain and Kevin Cordon of Guatemala, fulfilling his Tokyo 2020 dream, secured their spots at the record-equalling fifth Olympic badminton appearance, alongside Robert Mateusiak of Poland and Boonsak Ponsana from Thailand. Established names like Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand), Michelle Li (Canada), Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei), Lianne Tan (Belgium), Tse Ying Suet (Hong Kong, China), and Misha Zilberman (Israel) are set to feature in their fourth Olympics.
El Salvador, Kazakhstan, and Nepal made their debut in badminton with representatives Uriel Francisco Canjura Artiga, Dmitriy Panarin, and Prince Dahal in the men's singles category. Except for retired Wang Yi Lyu (mixed doubles) and Greysia Polii (women's doubles), all Tokyo 2020 reigning champions successfully navigated the qualifiers: Viktor Axelsen (Denmark), Chen Yu Fei (China), and Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin (Chinese Taipei).
Wang Yi Lyu partners with Huang Dong Ping (China) return to the Olympics after finishing second in the Race to Paris standings, alongside new partner Feng Yan Zhe, while Polii reunites with Apriyani Rahayu advancing in the qualifiers with Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti from Indonesia.
With an array of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers, the badminton tournament at the Olympic Paris 2024 is poised to deliver thrilling matches and memorable performances. Fans can expect intense on-court battles and inspiring stories of resilience and triumph on badminton's biggest stage.