Paris 2024 badminton: Chen/Jia add women's doubles gold to Tokyo 2020 silver
A month ago, Jia Yifan was lying on a hospital bed with a serious case of pneumonia, unsure of where things were going - let alone compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
On Saturday (3 August), Jia, with long-time partner Chen Qingchen next to her, was standing on top of the women’s doubles podium at La Chapelle Arena with a gold medal around her neck.
Talk about gratitude.
“It is unbelievable,” Jia said after she and Chen, the world champions, defeated Chinese compatriots Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in the final 22-20, 21-15.
“I was hospitalised a month ago. The illness scared a lot of my team-mates. I was in pretty bad shape. It’s incredible because I had pneumonia, a high fever and for four days I was showing no signs of improvement.
“During the week I was in hospital I was in a lot of pain. My partner had to train on her own. But she told me to focus on getting better.
“Many thanks to my partner because she was there when I needed her the most.”
Matsuyama Nami and Shida Chiharu of Japan captured the women's doubles bronze.
Chen/Jia, silver medallists three years ago in Tokyo, certainly didn’t have the gold handed to them.
In the first game, they were down 16-20, staring at the prospect of going down a set to their sisters and unexpected semi-finalists.
But the two went on to save four set points, taking a 1-0 lead instead. Chen said she could not explain the turnaround, describing it as “surreal.”
“When the score was 16-20, I was very tense,” she said. “But the tension suddenly went away.
“It was surreal.”
Chen and Jia have partnered for a decade, through ups and downs - like the one Jia faced as she battled pneumonia last month. But on this evening at La Chapelle Arena, there were no regrets or the least bit of bitterness from them about missed opportunities on their long and winding road.
Only true appreciation for what they have now.
“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: even if we had won silver I would have been happy,” Jia said. “I would have been pleased to be second to them (Liu/Tan).
“We managed to win gold this time and maybe the feelings aren’t as complicated as last time. I feel calm compared to the last Olympics.”
Said Chen, “For me, the championship was worth waiting 10 years. Maybe that is what we needed to get to where we are now.”
Badminton women's doubles
Gold - Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan, People's Republic of China
Silver - Liu Shengshu Tan Ning, People's Republic of China
Bronze - Matsuyama Nami/Shida Chiharu, Japan