Rasmus Kjær and Frederik Søgaard of Denmark are aiming to solidify their path to the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2024 as the second-seeded men’s doubles pair enters the Hylo Open 2024. Currently ranked No.10 in the HSBC Race to Finals, they must secure a top-seven finish to qualify, with reigning Olympic champions Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin already guaranteed a spot in the finals among the top eight.
Kjær and Søgaard are trailing Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun by 8,620 points, yet remain hopeful that strong performances at the Hylo Open and the last two qualifying events—the Kumamoto Masters Japan and Li-Ning China Masters—will help close the gap. Having reached two semifinals and two quarterfinals this season, they’re looking for another deep run in Saarbrücken to boost their standing.
Still, they face close competition. Pairs like Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik and Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi, both with fewer than 10 events on record, have the potential to gain points quickly and surpass the Danish duo. Kjær and Søgaard realize the importance of maximizing this limited opportunity.
Withdrawals
Alex Lanier (France), who has had an impressive season, is one of four players who have withdrawn from the men’s singles competition, alongside Arnaud Merkle (France), Markus Barth (Norway), and Fabio Caponio (Italy). In men’s doubles, Robert Cybulski/Szymon Slepecki of Poland withdrew, as did two pairs in mixed doubles: Robert Cybulski/Kornelia Marczak (Poland) and Nicolas Franconville/Aline Muller (Switzerland).
In this week’s neighboring Super 300 event, the Macau Badminton Open, Chinese Taipei (CT) impressively fielded 35 pairs across men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles categories. Out of the 12 women’s doubles pairs that competed in the main draw, five were from Taiwan, and three made it to the quarterfinals.
This means that Indian pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand managed to defeat two CT pairs in the past two days. However, they were knocked out in the semifinals by the third Taiwanese duo, Hsieh Pei Shan and Huang En-Tzu.
The Rise of Taipei’s Doubles Dominance
The athletes from East Asia, particularly from China, Taiwan, and Japan, have been quietly perfecting their skills in training over the past Olympic cycles. They enter tournaments in large numbers, advancing at an impressive speed while steadily climbing the rankings. The Taipei team, ranked 54th, might seem unthreatening when looking at the rankings, but this is misleading, as many of their athletes have been largely absent from the international stage until the start of the new Olympic cycle.
Many of these 35 players are either young athletes in their teens or early twenties, or second or third-tier players from Taipei’s “badminton factories.” Despite their lower world rankings, their technical skills and match levels can be formidable, especially when they compete as unseeded players.
A Tough Path for Treesa and Gayatri
At 21 years old, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have already been on the circuit for three seasons, drawing significant attention. While they were the top-seeded pair in the Macau draw, winning their first Super 300 title was far from easy.
In the semifinals, they faced a more experienced Taipei pair, the 8th-seeded Hsieh Pei Shan and Huang En-Tzu, against whom they had already lost twice in the past three months. Interestingly, in Macau, PV Sindhu had won three consecutive titles and a World Championship bronze before making her mark at the Olympics, when the event was still considered a beginner-level competition.
This year, however, Taipei’s development teams, including the gold medal-winning men’s doubles pair Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin, have shone particularly brightly on the international stage.
Although none of the CT women’s doubles pairs are ranked in the world’s top 25, five pairs have suddenly surged into the top 35. Macau is one of the earliest examples of China and Chinese Taipei’s strategy to showcase their sheer numbers on the world stage. Given their foundational skill level, this is a concerning trend. These players are currently hidden somewhere on page three of the rankings, but their jumps in the rankings can be as large as 19 or 38 places as they chase smaller titles.
In contrast, a few of the top women’s doubles pairs from China, Korea, and Japan, ranked in the top 15, are gradually retiring or being reshuffled. Beneath the surface, a new wave of young talents is emerging, not just from mainland China but also from a resurgent Taipei, looking to break into the spotlight.
The Challenge for India’s Doubles Teams
Ranked 23rd, the Indian team is still grappling with some minor issues but faces a stiff challenge in terms of playing style—faster, more aggressive, and more powerful. China’s rising stars, like Liu Sheng Shu (20) and Tan Ning (21), currently ranked third in the world, have redefined the game, making it fiercer than ever before. Much like the competition in semiconductor innovation, what happens in China today likely happened in Taiwan yesterday, and the results will be seen in the coming months—badminton follows the same trend.
India has four mixed doubles pairs, and while they haven’t performed poorly, they have not made significant progress in breaking into the top 50 (with eight pairs within the top 100). However, Olympian Tanisha Crasto has been showing promise in the mixed doubles category, a format more suited to her style. The Panda sisters, Rituparna and Swetaparna, ranked 47th, along with Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, ranked 50th, have made earnest attempts but haven’t progressed much on foreign soil. The Indian team needs to deliver standout performances to advance.
Moving Forward: Treesa and Gayatri’s Determination
As for the Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand duo, while they haven’t had a standout breakthrough in India, they will need to rise to the challenge of facing strong opponents and adapt to setbacks caused by injuries. To achieve their best, they must perform at the highest level against these powerhouse teams.
At a recent fan meeting for Tai Tzu Ying, a video featuring interviews with her fans was shown, sharing their emotions as they followed her through various competitions and offering blessings for her upcoming retirement. Moved to tears after watching the video, Tai said, “This year hasn’t been my best, but I’m truly happy to still have so many people supporting me.”
At the Chinese Taipei Open, Lee Yang held a retirement ceremony, leaving a deep impression on his fans.
When asked if she plans to hold a similar event to say goodbye to her fans, Tai Tzu Ying responded, “I probably won’t want a retirement ceremony. I think I’d be too heartbroken. I cried at today’s fan meeting, and just watching the video left me speechless. I’m afraid I’d cry uncontrollably.”
Although Tai does not plan to hold a retirement ceremony, she hopes to accompany her fans in a different way. “I hope to do something more sustainable, like visiting schools and sharing with the children. I want to help them in any way I can,” she said.
There’s no better way to conclude a career than by winning Olympic gold—Lee Yang achieved this feat not once, but twice. His partnership with Wang Chi-Lin stands out in badminton history, especially given their surprising rise to glory despite not winning a title in the preceding year.
Their Olympic journey was filled with remarkable moments, culminating in a final that may go down as one of the greatest ever. After facing challenges in their partnership post-Tokyo 2020, the duo overcame fitness struggles to prevail in nail-biting matches at the Olympics.
In the gold medal match at Paris 2024, Lee Yang showcased exceptional talent and composure, steering the pair through the ups and downs of the competition. Both players had humble beginnings, but their complementary skills flourished when they teamed up in 2018, marking the start of a successful partnership.
After a rocky path through inconsistent performances, the duo rediscovered their winning formula in Paris, overcoming doubts and fierce competition to reclaim the gold. “I’m happy that, with such tough competition, we still managed to win the gold medal,” said Lee Yang, reflecting on their remarkable journey.
Taiwanese badminton men’s doubles star Lee Yang held his retirement ceremony yesterday, during which a highlight reel of his career was shown, and several badminton stars offered their blessings. These included Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi, Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man, and Indonesia’s doubles specialists Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. Lee Yang remarked that, at the beginning of the ceremony, the atmosphere felt like a class reunion, but after hearing everyone’s blessings, he truly realized that he had reached the end of his career.
Lee’s former partners, from Chiang Yu-Wei and Lee Jhe-Huei to Wang Chi-Lin, with whom he won an Olympic gold medal, all attended the event to offer their best wishes. Lee Yang made a special comment to Lee Jhe-Huei, saying, “In the past, you were always the first to leave practice early, but this time, it’s my turn to leave the court first.” After saying this, he couldn’t hold back his tears. Chiang Yu-Wei also shared a story, calling Lee Yang a “serious perfectionist.” He mentioned that when they played singles games, the loser had to buy drinks or do push-ups, “But Lee Yang would always seriously record who should be punished on his phone. I’d think, is that really necessary?”
Lee Yang said, “I’m very grateful to myself for sticking with it for so long. I would sleep at 11 p.m. every day and wake up at 7:20 a.m. If there was anything that could help my badminton, I would want to do it.”
After the retirement ceremony, Lee Yang posted an emotional message on social media, saying that in a few years, he wasn’t sure if people would still remember him. Reflecting on his past efforts, he recalled how a “little chubby boy” fought hard on the badminton court, pushing himself to be disciplined just to show his best form. Now, that little chubby boy must say a proper goodbye to the court he loved and to the people who supported him. He ended his message with, “The curtain falls on Lee Yang’s badminton career.”
Regarding his post-retirement plans, Lee Yang revealed that he will begin teaching at a sports university today. In the future, he hopes to find time to organize a cycling trip around Taiwan and to travel to the U.S. to watch NBA basketball games.
The Olympic double gold medal pair, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin were knocked out of the Taipei Open Super 300 men’s doubles round of 16 today, losing 21-15, 15-21, 20-22 to their junior teammates Yang Po-Han and Liu Kuang Heng, thus missing the opportunity to close Lee Yang’s “final dance” with a championship victory.
The best result for the Li-Wang duo at the Chinese Taipei Open had been a runner-up finish in the past. As Lee Yang plans to retire after this year’s tournament, the pair reunited for this special occasion. However, they found themselves in a tough battle against the world-ranked 88th “Cold Wave Duo.” After the match, a frustrated Wang Chi-Lin said, “I played poorly, very badly. I really appreciate his tolerance on the court, but today I just didn’t perform well at all.”
Lee Yang came to Wang’s defense, saying, “Chi-Lin has always been a great friend and partner. He really wanted to give me a perfect ending here at the Chinese Taipei Open, so he put a lot of pressure on himself, which made it hard for him today. But regardless, we fought for every shot out there.”
In 2013, no national team, except South Korea, had won all five event titles. This year, host team Chinese Taipei is the only team to have seeds in all five events.
Chinese Taipei has had winners in the past six editions of the tournament, marking the longest winning streak since Indonesia’s 11 consecutive wins from 1990 to 2002. There were no tournaments held in 1998 and 2001.
Local star Tai Tzu-ying has won five of the last ten women’s singles titles. Defending her title would make the world No. 3 player the most successful competitor in the history of the tournament. She would also become the first player since Denmark’s women’s singles player Kirsten Larsen in 1988 to win three consecutive championships.
Both Tai Tzu-ying and fellow home favorite Chou Tien-chen, who have won titles previously, are the top-seeded players in this year’s tournament.
Since Tai Tzu-ying won her first gold medal in 2012, only South Korea has produced multiple champions in the event.
Along with the pair of Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong (2019), Wang Chi-lin (2017 and 2018 with Chen Hung-ling) and Tseng Hsiao-yang, six former champions are participating in this year’s tournament. However, their partners have changed: Wu Tso-tung, Chen Chien-jen, and Tseng Chun-hua have different partners, while Wang Chi-lin competes in his final match alongside his two-time Olympic gold-medalist partner Lee Yang.
Women’s doubles has been the only event won by different countries in the last four editions: Japan (2018), Thailand (2019), Hong Kong (2022), and South Korea (2023).
Key Data: Chinese Taipei has yet to win a mixed doubles event directly, though this year they have four seeded pairs in the mixed doubles draw, including top seeds Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-hsin.
Double Olympic gold medalists Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin are teaming up for the first time since the Olympics. They will be reuniting to compete in this week’s Chinese Taipei Open, aiming for a strong performance. Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin have already started practicing at the venue, with Lee Yang noting that the strong wind at the venue presents a significant challenge, and they will need to devise strategies to overcome it.
As Lee Yang has announced his retirement at the end of this season, Wang Chi-Lin has been partnering with new partner Chiu Hsiang-chieh in the Japan Open and Korea Open after the Paris Olympics. Returning to their home ground, Wang Chi-Lin has chosen to reunite with Lee Yang for this final match, hoping to give fans a memorable end to their partnership.
Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin’s best result at the Chinese Taipei Open was a runner-up finish in 2022.
For this Chinese Taipei Open, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin are the top seeds. In the first round, they will face the French pair Mael Cattoen and Lucas Renoir, who are ranked 84th in the world and have no previous record of facing each other.
Wang Chi-lin and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh, lost to the strong Korean duo of Seo Seung-jae and Kang Min-hyuk with scores of 27-25, 23-25, and 11-21 in the semifinals of the Super 500 Series Korea Open. Following the match, Wang Chi-lin commented, “The results have exceeded expectations, and the performance is quite satisfactory.”
The Lin-Chiu pair fought hard for 68 minutes before falling short of reaching the final. Wang Chi-lin noted, “Although it’s a bit disappointing, the results have exceeded expectations, and the performance is quite satisfactory. There is still plenty of room for improvement and adjustment.”
Wang Chi-lin also praised his new partner, the 21-year-old Chiu Hsiang-hsiang, saying, “My younger partner, Chiu, performed admirably. We will continue to work hard!”
Furthermore, the Chinese Taipei Open will commence on September 3rd, where Wang Chi-lin will reunite with Lee Yang to defend their home court. “Next week, I’ll be back with Lee Yang. See you at the Chinese Taipei Open!” The Lin-Lee pair is the top seed in men’s doubles, and this will be Lee Yang’s final participation in the Chinese Taipei Open.
Lee Yang is a male badminton player from Chinese Taipei.
Li Yang was initially a member of the handball team before switching to badminton. Siblings Li Yang and Li Zhi Nic were taught badminton by their father, Li Junnian, since they were young, and would take them to practice at the Zhonghe Yuantong Temple every day.
On July 24, 2016, Li Yang/Li Chieh Huey made their debut in the final of the Badminton Grand Prix of Vietnam at the BWF Grand Prix level and won their first international title since they teamed up with a come-from-behind victory over Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Hong of Malaysia by a 2-1 (18-21, 21-14, 21-7) victory at the end of the tournament.On December 4, the two played in the Badminton Grand Prix of Macau at the Golden Grand Prix and won their first international title since they teamed up with a 2-1 (17-21, 21-14, 21-7) victory at the final of the tournament. 2-1 (17-21, 21-18, 21-19) over Lu Kai/Zhang Nan of China to win their first career Golden Grand Prix title.
In late October 2017, the pair came back to defeat current World Champions Liu Cheng/Zhang Nan 2-1 (19-21, 21-13, 21-19) in the men’s doubles semifinals of the Badminton Superseries in France, and in the finals, Li Yang and Li Zhehui, who were advancing to their first-ever Superseries finals, defeated the Danish duo of Mathias Bowie/Karsten Morgensen to capture their first career Super Series title.
In February 2019, playing in their first international tournament since partnering with Wang Qilin, the Spain Masters Badminton Championships, the pair defeated Korea’s Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae in the final in straight-sets (21-8, 23-21) to win their first tournament title since partnering.
In March 2019, Li Yang/Wang Qi Lin won the India Open, their third title and first Super 500 title together.
On July 31, 2021, Li Yang and Wang Qilin won the Tokyo Olympic gold medal in men’s doubles badminton, defeating China’s twin towers Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen in the final in straight sets (21-18, 21-12).
On August 4, 2024, Li Yang partnered with Wang Qilin to defend their title in the men’s doubles final of the Paris Olympics, defeating Liang Weikang and Wang Chang 21-17, 18-21, 21-19 in the final.
World Ranking – Men’s Doubles 9, Week 33, 2024
Olympic Points – Men’s Doubles 10, 71008 points
Finals Ranking – Men’s Doubles 21, 33150 points
Equipment Used
ARCSABER 11 PRO,BG-80,VBS-66 NANO,75TH 65Z2,JETSPEED S 10 Fluorescent Rose,NANOFLARE 800,AURASPEED 90K,NANOFLARE 800 PRO,SHB65Z3 new color,SHB65Z3W new color
Major Achievements
2024 Paris Olympics Badminton Men’s Doubles Gold Medalist
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.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng claimed the men’s doubles silver medal, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang were still in elementary school in Guangzhou and Ningbo, just starting to play badminton. They pounded their chests in frustration in front of the television at the “Fengyun” duo’s near victory.
By the time Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng finally fulfilled their dream by winning the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang had begun systematic training at sports schools. As young athletes, they harbored the budding desire to emulate the Fengyun duo.
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, as Zhang Nan and Fu Haifeng secured a hard-fought gold for the Chinese badminton team, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang had entered the Zhejiang provincial team and the Guangzhou city team for professional training, becoming “rising stars” with the goal of joining the national team.
During the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen earned a silver medal despite the men’s doubles overall decline, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang had not yet paired up to compete.
In May 2022, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang began their partnership, starting from a world ranking outside the top 400. Within two years, they climbed to the top of the world rankings and entered their first Olympic journey as the top seeds in the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics.
On the evening of August 4, 2024, in the men’s doubles final at the Paris Olympics, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, after losing the first set 17-21, made a strong comeback by winning the second set 21-18, forcing the match into a deciding set. Despite trailing, they tenaciously fought back but ultimately lost by two points to the defending champions, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin, securing a silver medal in their first Olympic outing.
New Blood for China’s Badminton Team in the Paris Cycle
Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen’s silver medal in Tokyo did not lead to a third consecutive Olympic gold for China in men’s doubles. With Li Junhui’s retirement, the instability in both performance and personnel in the men’s doubles category called for new talent. It was at this juncture that the post-2000 duo, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, emerged.
Their debut at the Thailand Open in May 2022, a 500-level tour event, required them to start from the qualifiers due to their low ranking. Despite the setbacks, they battled their way into the top 16, ultimately losing to Japan’s top pair, Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi.
At the Indonesia Masters, still starting from the qualifiers, this young duo made an unexpected run to the finals, defeating the world number one pair, Gideon/Sukamuljo, along the way. Although they lost to Indonesia’s Alfian/Ardianto in the final, it was a pleasant surprise.
Their world ranking soared from 424 to 179, signaling hope for China’s men’s doubles.
Hope, however, is a beautiful expectation that is not yet realized. They lost in the semifinals of the Malaysia Open to Ahsan/Setiawan and didn’t progress far in the Singapore Open. The entire men’s doubles team failed to qualify for the World Championships, highlighting a crisis.
Nevertheless, at the Japan Open, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang triumphed, defeating the third, fifth, and seventh seeds, winning their first 750-level tournament, and becoming the only champions for China in that event.
Despite missing the Denmark Open, an early exit in the French Open, failing to reach the semifinals in the Hylo Open, and another early exit in the Australian Open, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang climbed to the 17th position by year-end, with a promising future ahead.
2023: Rising to World Number One
By 2023, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, affectionately dubbed the “Liang-Wang” duo by fans, had a strong start to the year, reaching the finals in both the Malaysia and India Opens, winning silver and then gold. Despite an early exit in the German Open and a semifinal finish in the All England, their world ranking rose to seventh by April.
The Sudirman Cup marked their first team event together. Although their appearances were limited, they stood on the championship podium with their teammates, fulfilling their childhood dream of becoming “world champions.”
Returning to the Thailand Open, a year after starting as qualifiers, they won the tournament as seeded players, a perfect anniversary gift and a testament to their continuous rise.
At the Singapore Open, they reached the finals again, though they narrowly lost to a Japanese pair. Their consistent performance, with six finals and three championships in a year, brought them to second in the world rankings.
“From the Sudirman Cup to Singapore, the Olympic qualifying events have given us a good start and laid a solid foundation for the upcoming competitions. As young players, we don’t need to carry too much burden; we will continue to strive for more points and aim for the Olympic stage.” Their childhood dream was gradually becoming a reality.
With a bronze medal at the World Championships and a championship at the China Open, the “Liang-Wang” duo remained at a high competitive level. On October 31, the BWF updated its rankings, and they reached the world number one spot for the first time, achieving another goal.
However, in the Hangzhou Asian Games, they lost as the first doubles pair in the team final, but China eventually won the gold medal. In the individual event, they didn’t reach the men’s doubles quarterfinals, leaving no Chinese pairs in the semifinals. The year ended with ups and downs, securing only the China Masters title, and finishing as runners-up in the Finals in Hangzhou, losing to Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae, but they retained their world number one ranking by year-end.
Men’s Doubles: The Most Competitive Field
As the Olympic year approached, it was time to sprint. At the first 1000-level event of the year, the Malaysia Open, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang won the title by defeating Indian stars Rankireddy/Shetty. Though they didn’t win gold in the Asian and European circuits thereafter, their ranking dropped to third. However, at the Asian Championships in April, they reclaimed the title and regained their crown.
In May, at the Thomas Cup, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, now the undisputed top men’s doubles pair, defeated Alfian/Ardianto in the final, securing a crucial point and helping China reclaim the Thomas Cup with a 3-1 victory over Indonesia.
In June, they won the Indonesian Open, the last tournament before the Paris Olympics, and reclaimed the world number one ranking. This meant they would enter the Olympic stage as the top seeds.
No one could have imagined that the duo, ranked over 400 just two years ago, would become China’s contenders in Paris. However, men’s doubles is the most competitive of badminton’s five events. Despite their number one ranking, pairs from India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Denmark, Japan, and Chinese Taipei all pose significant challenges. In men’s doubles, it’s about skill, consistency, on-the-day performance, and mental state.
Yet, the “Liang-Wang” duo remains fearless. As they said after winning their first major title at the Japan Open: “We can do it. We attack every opportunity. We are capable and strong!”
Although they didn’t win gold in Paris, their shining moment will come. Here’s hoping they fulfill their dreams in Los Angeles.
