Gold! Mixed Doubles Badminton Final: Chinese Pair Zheng Siwei & Huang Yaqiong Capture Gold with Easy Win Over South Korean Duo

On August 2nd, in the mixed doubles badminton final that started at 22:10 today at the Paris Olympics, the Chinese pair of Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong defeated the South Korean duo of Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun 2-0, securing the 13th gold medal for the Chinese delegation.

In the first game, the Chinese pair served, with Zheng Siwei’s consecutive smashes causing their opponents to continuously hit the ball out of bounds and into the net, giving them a 4-0 lead. In the fifth rally, both pairs engaged in a prolonged exchange of over tens of shots, with the South Korean pair winning the point. After the break, Zheng Siwei’s powerful smashes and his forcing of errors helped China take a 6-1 lead. The teams then traded points, reaching a score of 10-4. Huang Yaqiong’s successful net play repeatedly caused mistakes from the opposition, allowing China to rack up points and reach an intimidating score of 20-7, holding 13 match points. Eventually, they won the first game by a large margin of 21-8, with the “Yase” pair leading 1-0.

In the second game, South Korean player Kim Won-ho scored the first point with a smash. The Chinese pair kept the score close and took the lead after the score was tied at 4-4. The “Yase” pair capitalized on their opponents’ misjudgments, pulling ahead to a score of 10-5. Following Zheng Siwei’s powerful smashes and Huang Yaqiong’s accurate net anticipation, China gained an absolute advantage of 16-7. In the closing moments, the South Korean players made a strong comeback, scoring two consecutive points, but could not overcome the significant skill gap. China comfortably won the second game 21-11.

Ultimately, the Chinese pair of Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong defeated their South Korean opponents with a decisive 2-0 victory. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the “Yase” pair had also reached the final but ended up with a silver medal. Their undefeated record across all matches in the mixed doubles competition at this Paris Olympics resulted in a successful gold medal win, fulfilling their dream.