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E-mail Xinhua, July 19, 2024
As the Paris Olympics approaches, badminton shuttlers from traditional powerhouses such as China, South Korea and Indonesia are primed for medal success. Meanwhile, several European players are eager to make their mark on the podium.
China's badminton team stands out with full participation in all five events, boasting balanced strength across the board. They hold the No. 2 seed in women's singles and the top seed positions in the remaining four events, and are aiming to surpass their Tokyo Olympics haul of two golds and four silvers.
The men's singles competition is set to be fiercely contested, featuring 41 players divided into 13 groups. China's No. 1 seed, Shi Yuqi, has been in stellar form throughout 2024, securing four men's singles titles and leading China to victory in the Thomas Cup in May.
Denmark's second seed, Viktor Axelsen, the reigning Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion, is determined to defend his title. Indonesia's top shuttlers, third seed Jonatan Christie and Tokyo bronze medalist Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, are also strong contenders.
Denmark's Viktor Axelsen hits a return during the men's singles final against Japan's Kento Momota in the 2022 Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur, July 3, 2022. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)
Group L, deemed one of the toughest, includes Christie, India's rising star Lakshya Sen, Tokyo 2020 men's singles quarterfinalist Kevin Cordon of Guatemala, and Belgium's Julien Carraggi.
Other notable contenders include Denmark's Anders Antonsen, Kodai Naraoka of Japan, China's Li Shifeng, Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, and Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
In the women's singles, top seed An Se-young of South Korea leads the charge, having won 10 singles titles last season, including the World Championships and Asian Games. Despite recent injuries, she remains the favorite.
Defending champion Chen Yufei of China shares her half of the draw with compatriot He Bingjiao, setting up a potential quarterfinal clash. Spain's No. 4 seed Carolina Marin, the Rio Olympic gold medalist, has had a strong season, winning the All England Open and the Badminton Europe Championships.
Japan's Akane Yamaguchi, returning from injury, is determined to secure a medal. Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Tai Tzu-ying from Chinese Taipei plans to retire after this year, meaning this is her last chance to clinch an Olympic gold.
In the women's doubles, top seeds Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan of China face strong competition from South Korea's Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee, fellow Chinese pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, and Japan's Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida.
The mixed doubles will see China's No. 1 seeds Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong contend against South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun in Group A. Other notable pairs include South Korea's Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung in Group B, Japan's Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino in Group C, and China's No. 2 seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in Group D.
The men's doubles competition promises intense battles as top seeds Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of China are set to face Tokyo Olympic bronze medalists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik from Malaysia, alongside Ben Lane and Sean Vendy of Britain and Canada's Adam Dong and Nyl Yakura in Group A.
India's No. 3 seeds Satwiksaraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty find themselves in Group C, while No. 4 seeds Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea are drawn in Group B.
Group D stands out with an unprecedented five pairs, including Denmark's European champion duo Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, the reigning Olympic champions Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin from Chinese Taipei, China's Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi, Japan's world champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, and Vinson Chiu and Joshua Yuan of the United States.
Host nation France has shown significant improvement in badminton, with Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen, president of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), praising the French players' preparations. On home soil, shuttlers such as men's singles competitor Toma Junior Popov and mixed doubles duo Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue are expected to perform well.
The Paris Olympic badminton events will take place at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena from July 27 to August 5.
