ACOG - Badminton - IBM

Who to Watch in Badminton

Although included as a full-medal sport in just one previous Olympic Games badminton may already have its first Olympic superpower.

Indonesia captured five medals at the inaugural Olympic badminton tournament in 1992, including championship titles in both the men's and women's single events. The top honors represented Indonesia's first-ever gold medals in any sport and may serve as a prelude for Indonesian dominance at the 1996 Centennial Games.

Indonesia is not the only top contender from badminton's "boom continent." China and Korea combined for nine of the 16 medals awarded in Barcelona. Players from Malaysia and the northern European countries of Denmark and Sweden also fill the upper levels of the world rankings.

Men's Singles

With two world champions and the defending Olympic champion on the roster, Indonesia is a threat to sweep the medals even without 1992 Olympic silver medalist Ardy WIRANATA and bronze medalist Hermawan SUSANTO. Based on the IBF world rankings, Olympic qualifications are limited to a maximum of three players from each country. But since five of the world's top 10 players come from Indonesia, seventh-ranked WIRANATA and 10th-ranked SUSANTO were left without a spot at the Games. Their absence will provide little relief for opponents however, as Indonesia could be poised for another medal sweep behind 1993 world champion Joko SUPRIANTO (IBF #1), 1995 world champion Heryanto ARBI (IBF #3) and 1992 Olympic gold medalist Allan Budi KUSUMA (IBF #6).

Although now commonplace for the Asian squads, both China and Korea qualified the maximum number of players in the men's singles competition and could challenge Indonesia's dominance in men's singles. Fourth-ranked Jiong DONG, the Yonex U.S. Open runnerup, heads the Chinese delegation along with 14th-ranked Jun SUN and 15th-ranked Lizhi YU. China won five badminton medals in Barcelona, but failed to win a medal in the men's singles competition.

Korea won four medals in Barcelona, and the IBF's fifth-ranked player, Woo Park Sung, could help add to the medal count. Two Olympic veterans join WOO on the Korea squad with Lee Kwang Jin (IBF 11th) and Kim Hak-kyun (IBF 16th) scheduled to make their second Olympic appearances. LEE lost a tough three-game match in the 1992 opening round and KIM lost to eventual champion KUSUMA in the quarterfinals.

Denmark's top players also could challenge for a spot on the podium. Three-time European and two-time All-England champion Poul-Erick Hoyer-Larsen advanced to the quarterfinals at the 1992 Games and enters the competition as the world's second-ranked player. Denmark's 12th-ranked Thomas Steur-Lauridsen was the only non-Indonesian to win a men's singles medal at Barcelona, sharing the double bronze with SUSANTO.

Malaysia's Rashid Sidek and Ong Ewe Hock also rank among the world's top 20 players. Once an international badminton power, the host United States is now represented by the Pan-American continent's top-ranked player, Kevin HAN.

Women's Singles

In 1992, Indonesia's Susi Susanti lost only one game as she cruised through the tournament on her way to her country's first-ever gold medal. SUSANTI is back in 1996, but the competition may have gotten a bit tougher. Ye Zhaoying of China put a stranglehold on the world's number one ranking by winning the 1995 world championship and 1995 U.S. Open. YE is just one of three Chinese qualifiers along with top-10 rated Han JINGA and Yao YAN.

Olympic silver medalist Bang Soo-hyun of Korea was the only player to win a game from SUSANTI in 1992 and enters the tournament as the IBF's number three-ranked player. Bang lost to Ye in three games in the finals of the U.S. Open. Other Korean medal hopefuls include Kim Ji Hyun (IBF #9) and Ra Kyung Min (IBF #12).

Sixteen-year old Mia Audina of Indonesia may be one of the youngest players in the competition, but she also ranks as one of the most talented. The world's number 10-ranked player made an impressive international debut at the prestigious All-England Championships and 1995 U.S. Open before joining SUSANTI and Yuliani Sentoso on the Indonesian Olympic team.

Fourth-ranked Lim Xiaoqing of Sweden and European champion Camilla Martin of Denmark also could earn an invitation to the victory ceremony along with European runner-up Marina Yakusheva of Russia.

Speed, endurance and versatility are keys to successful badminton players, but Canada's Denise Julien may need those qualities just to keep up with her schedule. Julien qualified for the Games in three events, earning a women's singles spot (IBF #27) in addition to teaming with Sian DENG in women's doubles and joining Darryl Yung in mixed doubles. The rapid pace is nothing new for the Canadian standout who won gold medals in all three events at the 1995 Pan American Games.

Men's Doubles

As deep as Indonesia is in the men's singles competition, the country may be even stronger in doubles. Three Indonesian teams qualified for the Games including the world's number one-ranked pair, Ricky SUBAGJA and Rexy MAINAKY. Indonesia also features the world's number three-ranked team in Denny KANTONO and S. ANTONIUS as well as the fourth-ranked pair of Ruday Gunawan and Bambang SUPRIANTO. GUNAWAN and SUPRU-ANTO won the men's double title at the 1995 Yonex U.S. Open and GUNAWAN earned an Olympic silver medal in the doubles competition in 1992.

China's Jiang Xin and Huang Zhanzhong finished second at the 1995 Yonex U.S. Open and earned a number six ranking above Sweden's Peter AXELSSON and Par-Gunnar Jonsson and Chinese Taipei's Sakrapee Thongsari and Pramote Terrwiwantana.

Jon Holst-Christensen and Thomas Lund of Denmark qualified as the world's fifth-ranked pair and solidified their ranking by winning the European doubles championship. Malaysia won its first-ever Olympic medal in the men's doubles competition in Barcelona, but a new pair of players, number two-ranked Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kip Hock, could improve on the 1992 bronze finish.

Women's Doubles

Most of the names have changed, but the same two countries that swept the medals in 1992 could return to the victory stand in 1996. Korea and China split the medals in Barcelona, with Korea capturing the top prize. However, the Chinese have three top-10 teams entered in the competition to challenge the IBF's top-ranked Korean pair of Gil Young Ah and Jang Hye Ock. GIL and JANG won the 1995 Yonex U.S. Open and GIL played on a bronze medal-winning pair at the 1992 Games. China's pair of Ge Fei and Gu Jung ranked number two in the world, just ahead of third-ranked Quin Yiyuan and Tang Yongshu and sixth-ranked Chenb Ying and Peng Xingyong.

Fourth-ranked Helene Kirkegaard and Rikke Olsen battled seventh-ranked Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen and Marlene Thomsen in an all-Denmark final at the European Championships while the Danish pair of Lotte Olsen and Ann Jorgensen also qualified for the Games. Fifth-ranked Julie Bradbury and Joanne Wright of Great Britain also could contend for a medal along with eighth-rated Eliza and Rosiana Zelin of Indonesia. Linda French and Erika von Heiland of the United States represent the host country.

Mixed Doubles

The mixed doubles competition may be new to the Olympic Games, but the winning country's national anthem may become a very familiar melody by the presentation of the final medals.

Korea, Indonesia and China are again the teams to beat in the mixed doubles competition with all three nations qualifying multiple top-15 teams.

Korea won both doubles events at the Barcelona Games and could add the mixed doubles event to its list behind the IBF top-ranked pair of Park Joo Bong and Ra Kyung Min. Ra also will compete in the women's singles event while Park is a veteran of doubles championship teams, playing on four All-England Championships pairs, four world championship pairs and the 1992 gold medal pair in Barcelona. Korea's Kim Dong Moon and Gil Young Ah won the U.S. Open Championship with a three-game win over Indonesia's Trikus Heryanto and Minarti Timur. The Trikus/Timur pair ranked number two in the world in qualifying for the Games and will join the 13th-ranked pair Nimble Flandy and Rosalina Riseu in seeking another medal for Indonesia.

China qualified three teams for the Games led by third-ranked pair of Chen Xingdong and Peng Xingyong , the fourth-ranked pair of Liu Jianjun and Sun Man and the seventh-ranked pair of Tao Xiaoqiang and Wang Xiaoyuan.

Great Britain, the birthplace of modern badminton, is represented by sixth-ranked Simon Archer and Julie Bradbury.

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publication Department. Written by Howard Thomas.


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