OLYMPICS DAY 8 : Not So Auspicious After All

Sunday, 17 August 2008 04:33

The number '8' is regarded an auspicious number for the Chinese, which explains the obsession of having the Games' Opening Ceremony to commence at 8pm on the 8th day of the 8th month of year 2008. Yet, day 8 of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was far from auspicious for the host, as China tasted a mouthful of defeats that might have overshadowed the couple of victories today.

By Jan Lin, reporting live from Beijing (BIMC). Photos: Badmintonphoto (live)

Unlike fellow powerhouses Indonesia and Korea, who also had an uncanny share of victories and defeats on the 8th day of the 29th Olympiad, China was the sole nation to have bagged a greater share of defeats than victories. Indonesia was the biggest winner today, registering 3 victories and 1 defeat, while Korea's mixed day took the form of 2 victories and 1 defeat.

China's victory to defeat ratio stands 2:3 today. In the morning session, 2004 Athens Games' champion Zhang Ning may have joined Gao Ling,

Zhang Jun, Ge Fei and Gu Jun in securing back-to-back Olympic titles but at the arrival of dusk, China required the service of the 3rd-seeded Chen Jin (pictured right) to save them the blushes of tasting 3-out-of-3 defeats in the evening session.

World number 4 Chen Jin took centre stage after the 4th-seeded mixed doubles pair of He Hanbin/Yu Yang were demolished in the semi-final by the top seeded pair of Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir in an extraordinary 69-minute match that ended in scores of 15-21, 21-11, 23-21. He/Yu's defeat has also effectively dashed the host nation's dream of a clean sweep of gold medals in Beijing.

There was no doubt, then, that the 22-year-old Chen Jin had rekindled the spirits of the nation when he came on to outplay Korea's Lee Hyun-Il in a see-saw tiebreaker match that ended with scores of 21-16, 12-21, 21-14. A visibly tired Lee had trouble taking control of the match this evening, as Chen had only himself to blame for the careless slip in the second game that then stretched the match to a third.

Chen said in a post-match interview, "Today's match tested my patience as I was only waiting for opportunities to attack. I have a great deal of respect for my opponent. I think I'm younger after all and I should believe in what I can offer. It is still a long journey ahead for me. I just hope I can maintain my form and get better results. With everyone's support, I will give all that I have."

The 28-year-old Lee Hyun Il will return to Korea empty-handed though this 4th-place finish in Beijing is already a significant improvement on his round-of-16 finish in Athens. Korea was a big winner at the 2004 Athens Games where they had gone home with 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medals. At the 2008 Beijing Games, Korea has bagged 1 silver, 1 bronze and still has a shot for gold tomorrow.

Lee Hyo Jung Mimics Footsteps of Coach Gil Young Ah

Half of Korea's 2008 Olympic Games bridesmaid women's doubles pair, Lee Hyo Jung, has mimicked her Samsung club coach Gil Young Ah's success at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Gil, who was an Olympic finalist in both the women's and mixed doubles event in 1996, struck gold for the mixed doubles and bagged a silver for the women's doubles in Atlanta.

Also representing Korea in both the womens' doubles and mixed doubles events in Beijing, the 27-year-old Hyo Jung has also won the women's doubles silver on Friday and has qualified to be in the running for the mixed doubles gold on Sunday with her junior partner Lee Yong Dae. The Korean pair has become the only unseeded finalist at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Lee/Lee secured their ticket to the finals at the expense of the 3rd seeds Flandy Limpele/Vita Marissa, winning by scores of 21-9, 12-21, 21-17 this evening. The Koreans will face the top seed Natsir/Widianto in the final but chances appear promising for Lee/Lee, who have beaten the current world number one pair twice this year: at the Malaysia and Korea Super Series events in January.

The good news is that both Korea and Indonesia have secured another medal to add to their current 2008 collection. Both nations bagged their first bronze medal earlier in the day. Both Indonesia's Maria Kristin Yulianti and the Korean men's doubles Lee Jae Jin/Hwang Ji Man stole the bronze medal from their Chinese and Danish counterparts in wicked tiebreaker affairs.

Indonesia then ended their day on a high when their world number 1 men's doubles pair of Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan (pictured left) struck gold to crown Indonesia as the country with the most Olympic men's doubles titles. Indonesia and Korea were tied at 2 titles each -- Korea having taken the 1992 and 2004 golds while Indonesia won back-to-back in 1996 and 2000 - and this victory has clearly broken the deadlock.

Upon defeating the local celebrities Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng 12-21,21-11,21-16 in the 49-minute final,

Kido and Hendra tumbled awkwardly to the ground as their coach, who had gone ecstatic, pounced on them (pictured right)! It is no doubt a momentous occasion for Indonesia badminton for it has been a painful search for an Olympian successor in the men's doubles event that they have long dominated.

And here in Beijing, the search has finally come to a temporary end.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games Men's Doubles Final Standing:

Gold - Hendra Setiawan and Markis Kido (Indonesia)
Silver - Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng (China)
Bronze - Lee Jae Jin and Hwang Ji Man (Korea)

For all Day 8 results, click HERE

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