Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang Win Silver; He Bingjiao Reaches First Olympic Final

Jayce October 12, 2024 3 0

On the evening of August 4th, at the 2024 Paris Olympic badminton tournament, the men’s doubles final and the men’s and women’s singles semifinals took place. Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang fell to Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin, claiming the silver medal. Viktor Axelsen defeated Lakshya Sen to advance to the final once again, while Kunlavut Vitidsarn overcame Lee Zii Jia 2-0 to reach his first Olympic final. An Se-young reversed the match against Gregoria Mariska Tunjung to secure her place in the final, and Carolina Marín withdrew due to injury, allowing He Bingjiao to advance to the final.

In the men’s doubles final, the Chinese pair Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang faced off against the Chinese Taipei pair Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin. The match began with the Chinese Taipei team taking the lead, reaching the mid-game interval first. After the break, Liang and Wang adjusted quickly, equalizing the score. However, after a brief tussle, the Chinese Taipei pair regained the lead and won the first game 21-17. In the second game, Liang and Wang fell behind early but fought hard to catch up. Despite several errors, they never gave up, eventually overturning the deficit to win 21-18. The match went to a decisive game where both pairs were neck and neck. In the final moments, Liang and Wang could not overcome their opponents, losing 19-21 and thus earning the silver medal, while Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin successfully defended their Olympic men’s doubles title.

In the previous round, Denmark’s Astrup/Anders and Malaysia’s Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik were defeated by Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang and Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin, respectively, setting up the bronze medal match in the Paris Olympic men’s doubles event. Both pairs quickly got into the game, with intense competition from the start. The Danish pair aggressively controlled the net, leading 11-8 at the mid-game interval. After the break, they maintained their rhythm and won the first game 21-16. In the second game, the Danish pair continued their dominance, leading 20-16, but the Malaysian pair staged a comeback, winning six consecutive points to take the game. The final game saw a change in momentum, with the Malaysian pair leading after the early exchanges. The Danish pair fought back, bringing the score to 19-19. In the crucial moments, the Malaysian pair held their nerve to win 21-19, securing the bronze medal, their second Olympic men’s doubles bronze.

In men’s singles, Viktor Axelsen triumphed over Lakshya Sen with a score of 22-20, 21-14, advancing to the final for the second consecutive Olympics, marking his fourth straight victory against Sen. He will face Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the final, who defeated Lee Zii Jia 21-14, 21-15, marking his second consecutive win against Lee and his first Olympic final appearance.

In women’s singles, Carolina Marín’s withdrawal allowed He Bingjiao to advance to the final, securing her second consecutive victory against Marín. She will face An Se-young, who reversed her match against Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, winning 11-21, 21-13, 21-16 to achieve her ninth consecutive victory against Tunjung. Both players are making their first appearance in an Olympic final.