“This year, we will move forward without slowing down (the pace).”
‘Badminton Empress’ Ahn Se-young predicted future success.
Ahn Se-young, who recently completed the India Open schedule, returned to Korea through Incheon International Airport on the 19th.
In name and reality, Ahn Se-young is the ‘strongest badminton player.’ Last year, he rewrote badminton history by tying the record for the most wins ever in a single season (11 wins), the highest winning percentage ever for a singles player (94.8%), and the highest accumulated prize money ever ($1,003,175).
The upward trend continued this year. He achieved 3 consecutive wins at the Malaysia Open and 2 consecutive wins at the India Open. The record for consecutive wins in official games is a whopping 30.
Still, I was not satisfied. After returning to Korea, Ahn Se-young confidently said, “I will not slow down (the pace) again this year,” and added, “There are many big competitions this year, including the Asian Games. I want to bring good results without missing any of those competitions.”
He added, “Injuries are always the biggest worry. This year, my goal is to finish all games well without withdrawing.”
There were times when my physical strength reached its limits due to repeated schedules. In the first match of the Malaysia Open, where she met Michelle Lee (Canada, 12th place) on the 6th, she appeared to be struggling and tapping as if her legs were uncomfortable, which raised a lot of concerns.
Ahn Se-young reflected, “As I came out without recovering properly after the World Tour Finals, my left leg was strained. My body felt heavy and I was afraid of cramps again. Rather, I felt that I was recovering as I played. I was satisfied that I was able to play better at the Indian Open with my recovery. This time, I was able to learn a lot about how to make plays while adjusting the tempo of the game to suit my physical condition.”
Although we have already encountered many records, our eyes are focused on another great record. If Ahn Se-young wins this year’s Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, she will become the first Korean player to win two consecutive singles titles at the Asian Games.
“I believe that if I do my best in every game, good results will follow like last year,” he said, adding strength to his voice, adding, “I want to achieve good results at the World Championships and Asian Games this year as well.”
[이한주 MK스포츠 기자]
[ⓒ MK스포츠, 무단 전재, 재배포 및 AI학습 이용 금지]
