Paris 2024 Badminton: The Era of An Se Young – Are We Merely Living in It?

Jayce September 6, 2024 4 0

Has the Era of An Se Young Finally Arrived?

From her teenage years, this South Korean badminton player was predicted to one day dominate the circuit, following in the footsteps of Bang Soo-hyun, the gold medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

In recent seasons, the women’s singles category has seen fierce competition, with players like PV Sindhu, former Olympic champion Chen Yufei, former world number one Akane Yamaguchi, Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying, and Carolina Marín all vying for dominance.

However, following Monday’s (August 5th) final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, An Se Young may have gained a decisive edge—perhaps for the foreseeable future.

Just turning 22 this February, the reigning world champion An Se Young won the gold medal in her second Olympic appearance, defeating the sixth seed He Bingjiao in straight sets. She was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Chen at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

An Se Young’s condition at the Olympics was far from ideal, with a persistent knee injury and her right leg heavily bandaged.

Despite this, her performance in all five matches at the La Chapelle Arena was nothing short of championship-caliber. She overcame Yamaguchi in the quarterfinals and then ousted bronze medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the semifinals.

An Se Young’s victory was driven by an iron-willed determination possessed by all great athletes. She ascended the podium with poise.

Unfortunately for her peers, An is just beginning her journey.

“My peak is yet to come,” said An Se Young, who, alongside Bang, is the only woman from her country to win a singles gold medal. “I am still young and have not reached my prime. I believe I can show more as I gain experience.

“Now it is finally over. I am happy because the seven-year wait is over, my dream has come true, and I have the ability to start anew.

“I have dreams, I talk about dreams, I inherit dreams, and this is the moment I realize them. Now I have nothing to fear, which gives me more confidence to move forward.”