Newsletter

TOKYO 2020 – Bronze for Yuta-Arisa

The first Olympic medal in badminton – in bronze – was won in the early morning by the Japanese Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino in mixed. Disillusionment on the other hand for the host country in singles after the elimination in the quarterfinals of Nozomi Okuhara, former world champion.

Watanabe and Higashino rejoice after the victory, offering a bronze medal to his country. © Yves Lacroix / BP

It is an immense joy that the young people Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino felt, this morning, in the Murashino Forest plaza, after their nice victory against the Hong Kongers Tang Shun Man and Tse Ying Suet 21-17, 23-21 . A superb match of intensity, which will have thrilled the few spectators of the stadium – the photographers and officials for the great majority Japanese. The two troublemakers thus win the match for third place in this mixed table, an Olympic particularity since in the BWF tournaments, the bronze medal is shared by the two semi-finalists. A great consecration for this original young pair, with a Yuta Watanabe who has shone for several years in mixed and in men’s doubles, with an incredible paw and a vision of the game that often takes the very best courses, while his compatriot Arisa is renowned. for his jumping attacks and speed at the net. We haven’t finished seeing them again …

China in great shape, Okuhara beaten

The mixed doubles final will be played later today, between the two best pairs in the world, Zheng / Huang and Wang / Huang (9:30 am French time), but already, China has struck again this morning. , as a single lady, by qualifying its two nationals Chen Yufei and He Biingjiao. The victory of the first against the young Korean An Se Young, is not a surprise even if we expected the young prodigy at the turn. 21-18, 21-19, and the world number 1 wins her ticket to the semi-finals. She will therefore meet her compatriot He Bingjiao, who achieved a real feat against one of the great contenders for the title, Nozomi Okuhara. Bronze medalist in Rio and world champion in Glasgow the following year, the Japanese seemed able to go higher on the podium of these Games, at home, but it was without counting on the left paw of He Bingjiao, who signs there, in three sets 13-21, 21-13, 21-14, one of his best victories after long months without playing, following an injury, then the confinement which had deprived the Chinese of any international release for almost 18 months. Chen and He prove that they have not been idle during this time in training …

Surprise of the day with He Bingjiao’s victory over Okuhara © Shi Tang

As for Nozomi Okuhara, it is inevitably a great disappointment after being close to the final in Rio. But she will undoubtedly know how to bounce back, with a rather exceptional maturity, which she demonstrates in this interview with the International Federation where she explains how much these Games go beyond the sporting framework and symbolize more than ever the solidarity and unity necessary in the face of the health disaster. .

We therefore know the first semi-final of the single lady. The other two young women to qualify for the last four will be known this afternoon, as Sindhu faces the very last Japanese representative in this badminton tournament, Akane Yamaguchi and Ratchanok Intanon and Tai Tzu Ying will be opposed just after. Also on the menu for the afternoon, the two semi-finals of double man.

The results here

On France televisions, all the matches are broadcast live, HERE

Photos: Yves Lacroix and Shi Tang / Badmintonphoto

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending