ACOG - News - IBM

Olympic Badminton Recaps: 31 July (Day 12)

Women's Singles Bronze Medal Playoff

SUSANTI Wins Her Second Medal

Indonesia's top-ranked women's singles player, Susi SUSANTI, completely dominated Korea's KIM Ji Hyun in the bronze medal playoff match, 11-4, 11-1.

SUSANTI, who has been called the greatest women's singles badminton player ever, began each game with a 2-0 lead. In the first game, KIM scored most of her points early, taking the score to 3-4 before SUSANTI put the game out of reach. After SUSANTI scored seven straight points, KIM staved off game point and won the serve. However, she could not capitalize on the opportunity for long, scoring only one point before losing the serve and, shortly thereafter, the game to SUSANTI.

In the second game, SUSANTI built a 7-0 lead before allowing KIM to score her first and only point.


Medalist: Bronze Susi SUSANTI (INA)

Men's Singles Bronze Medal Playoff

SIDEK Comes Back to Win Bronze Medal

For the first game and a half, Indonesia's Heryanto ARBI looked to have an easy road to his first Olympic medal. But Malaysia's Rashid SIDEK had other ideas. SIDEK went on to win 5-15, 15-11, 15-6.

In the first game, ARBI, the No. 3 seed going into the tournament, jumped to an 8-0 lead. SIDEK, seeded seventh, was only able to score one point in a row, losing the serve after each one. While SIDEK tied the score early in the second game, ARBI then went on a tear, building an 8-2 lead. SIDEK inched closer, eventually tying the game at 9-9. They traded leads from that point on, and SIDEK won on an easy lob which ARBI thought would go out of bounds.

The third game was an entirely different story. SIDEK gained the early lead, up 5-1 after his second turn at serving. He built the lead to 9-3 before ARBI closed to three points at 6-9. That was the closest ARBI ever got in that game. SIDEK put the match away easily after that point.

Medalist: Bronze: Rashid SIDEK (MAS).

Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal Playoff

LIU and SUN Beat Teammates for Bronze Medal

LIU Jianjun and SUN Man of the People's Republic of China defeated their teammates CHEN Xingdong and PENG Xingyong in a hard-fought 13-15, 17-15, 15-4 match to win the bronze medal.

CHEN and PENG built an early 5-1 lead in the first game. LIU and SUN retaliated with 11 unanswered points to drive the score to 12-5. CHEN and PENG drew closer with five points of their own and then added five more after allowing one point.

In the second game, CHEN and PENG again built an early lead, driving it to 9-4 before LIU and SUN surpassed them at 11-9. CHEN and PENG managed to tie the game at 12-12 and again at 14-14, but LIU and SUN won the game after it was set at three points.

LIU and SUN came back after the intermission to dominate the third game, building a 10-0 lead before allowing CHEN and PENG to score.

Medalists: Bronze -- LIU Jianjun and SUN Man (CHN).


Women's Badminton Doubles Finals

GE and GU Win Gold

Amidst cheering spectators, GE Fei and GU Jun of China had their moment of Olympic glory. GE and GU stood victorious on the podium and with great solemnity, listened as their national anthem was played.

GE and GU won the Olympic badminton women's doubles gold medal after defeating Korea's GIL Young Ah and JANG Hye Ock in a pair of 15-5 games. Going into the tournament, GIL and JANG had been seeded first and GE and GU second. In the IBF's latest rankings, those places were reversed.

While GE and GU held the Korean pair to few points, the match was not an easy one. Rarely did either side score more than 1 point in the same serve. Despite the slow scoring and many service changes, the Chinese team was always in control. Only once did GIL and JANG even tie the score -- at 4-4 early in the second game -- and they never held the lead.


Men's Badminton Doubles Finals

MAINAKY and SUBAGJA Come Back to Win Gold Medal

An exuberant celebration followed Rexy MAINAKY and Ricky SUBAGJA's (INA) hard-fought victory in the Olympic badminton men's doubles gold medal match. With tears of joy, MAINAKY and SUBAGJA embraced their coach, Hadinata CHRISTIAN, after defeating Malaysia's CHEAH Soon Kit and YAP Kim Hock, 5-15, 15-13, 15-12.

In the first game, the future did not seem golden for MAINAKY and SUBAGJA. CHEAH and YAP gained the early lead and built it to 11-1. In the second game, MAINAKY and SUBAGJA came on strong, building an 8-1 lead, but CHEAH and YAP scored 9 straight points shortly thereafter to take the lead at 11-9. The lead changed hands again before the Malaysian pair tied the game at 12-12. MAINAKY and SUBAGJA smashed in the final points to force a third game.

The third game was tight, with seven lead changes. The score was tied at all point values under 13 except at seven and 11. MAINAKY and SUBAGJA scored 4 unanswered points to end the game and the match.

See story.

"We tried continuously," said SUBAGJA. "We were left behind several times, and our response was to try harder."


This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.


Return to the Olympic News Menu

Select another day:
Pre July 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 August 1 2 3 4 Post


Olympic Factoid
The Mother Nature was kind to Olympic athletes and spectators. The average high temperature during the Games was 89 degrees with an average low of 72 degrees. Highest temperature registered (20 July) - 99 degrees. Lowest high temperature registered is 79 degrees (28 July).