Jayce
After ten days of intense competition, five Olympic badminton gold medals were awarded at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris, with the Chinese badminton team (CBA) ultimately securing 2 golds and 3 silvers. Each medal comes with its own story, intertwining joy, growth, and regret for the CBA players.
From the distribution of medals and rankings, it is evident that traditional powerhouses like Indonesia and Japan were not as dominant as in the past, while teams from Thailand and India showed strong potential. Zhang Jun believes that in the next Olympic cycle, the CBA will face more challenges and will provide more opportunities for young players. He hopes the young players will grow quickly, catching up with and surpassing their predecessors.
It is encouraging to see that young CBA players have already made a name for themselves in this Olympics. The women’s doubles pair Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning and the men’s doubles pair Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang, both composed of post-2000s athletes, showed great promise. Liu and Tan defeated strong pairs from Korea and Japan in the knockout stages, while Liang and Wang staged multiple comebacks from deficits in both the group and knockout stages. Although they narrowly missed the gold in the finals, they displayed the spirit of men’s doubles and gained valuable experience. “There will be more finals waiting for us in the future. We’ll be back in the next Olympic final,” Wang Chang said.
Alongside joy and growth, the Paris Olympics also brought some regret for the CBA. Neither of the two men’s singles players reached the semifinals, falling short of expectations. Zhang Jun pointed out that the men’s singles players were not adequately prepared for the difficulties. For example, Shi Yuqi was in good form before the Olympics, defeating several main rivals and winning multiple titles, “but the Olympic stage is different.”
Additionally, in women’s singles, last Olympics champion Chen Yufei was eliminated in the quarterfinals by her teammate He Bingjiao. Zhang Jun expressed regret over her exit, attributing it to excessive pressure that prevented her from performing at her best. “Having experienced the baptism of the Olympic stage, I believe Chen Yufei will come back stronger. I trust she can overcome adverse situations and emotions. People grow gradually; you won’t always succeed, and you will face setbacks and failures. This is all normal.”
The conclusion of the badminton events at the Paris Olympics marks the beginning of preparations for the Los Angeles Olympic cycle. The blend of joy and regret forms the backdrop of daily life. The end signifies the past, and the CBA will carry diverse memories into the next phase.
