Paris 2024 badminton: It's now An Seyoung's world, and we're just living in it
Has An Seyoung’s time finally arrived?
Since her teens, the Republic of Korea’s shuttler had been projected to be the one on the tour some day, the heir apparent to Atlanta 1996 gold medallist Bang Soohyun.
The last several seasons have been a battle royale in women’s singles, with the likes of An, ex-Olympic champion Chen Yufei, former world No. 1 Yamaguchi Akane, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying and Carolina Marin all jousting for position and bragging rights.
But after Monday’s (5 August) Olympic Games Paris 2024 final, An may have gotten a leg up on the competition - perhaps for the foreseeable future.
An, the reigning world champion who only turned 22 in February, overwhelmed sixth seed He Bingjiao in straight sets to win the gold in her second Olympic appearance. At Tokyo 2020, she was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Chen.
An did not have the ideal build-up to the Games, playing through a persisting knee injury as evidenced by her heavily bandaged right leg.
But the badminton she played in her five matches at La Chapelle Arena was nothing short of championship-caliber, dropping Yamaguchi in the quarter-finals then dismissing bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the semis.
A willed her victories, with an ironclad sense of determination all the great ones possess. She topped the podium fair and square.
And unfortunately for her peers, An is just getting started.
“My prime hasn’t come yet,” said An, who joined Bang as the only women from her country to win a singles gold. “I’m still too young to be in my prime and I believe I can show more as I gain more experience.
“It’s finally over now. I’m so happy because the seven-year wait is over, my dream has come true and I’ve got the power to do it over again.
"I dreamed, I spoke about the dream, I carried on the dream, and it was the moment that I achieved the dream. Now I have nothing to be scared of. It made me move forward more confidently."
An Seyoung was too much for an emotional He Bingjiao.
Carolina Marin's presence felt
He, who advanced to the final after Marin retired in the second game of their semi-final with a right-knee injury, wore a pin in the final given to her from the Spanish team.
He nearly broke down herself following Sunday’s match, watching Marin hobble home from the arena, and the emotions flooded after losing to An. He was down a game to Marin and looked to be on her way out before Marin was hurt.
“I don’t know why I cried. I couldn’t hold it back,” said He, who did well to knock out compatriot Chen in the last eight. Maybe it’s because I have mixed emotions and was overcome by a lot.”
An also gave Marin a nod, saying the Spaniard helped mold her into the player she has blossomed into.
"Carolina Marin is a legendary player, and I have gained many experiences by both losing to her and winning against her,” A said.
“It broke my heart to see her retire from the Olympics due to injury. I hope to see her back on the court soon to compete against her.”