Kim Won-ho (25) and Jung Na-eun (23) staged a comeback to reach the final, but were stopped by the world’s top-ranked team from China, but South Korea’s badminton doubles team won its best result in 16 years, a silver medal.
Kim Won-ho and Jung Na-eun lost 0-2 (8-21 11-21) to world No. 1 Zheng Shiwei and Huang Ya-chung of China in the mixed doubles final of the badminton at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris, France, on Sunday.
Despite not winning the gold medal, it was South Korea’s best result in doubles in 16 years since Beijing 2008, when Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung won gold in mixed doubles and Lee Hyo-jung and Lee Kyung-won won silver in women’s doubles. South Korea had previously won bronze in London 2012 with Lee Yong-dae and Jung Jae-sung in men’s doubles, in Rio de Janeiro 2016 with Jung Kyung-eun and Shin Seung-chan in women’s doubles, and in Tokyo 2021 with Kim So-young and Gong Hee-yong in women’s doubles.
They’re justifiably proud to be in the Olympic final. Kim Won-ho and Jung Na-eun have been a mixed doubles pair since June last year. The brother and sister duo, who are two years apart in age, have quickly gotten to know each other well and have reached the top 10 in the world rankings in just 사설 토토사이트 over a year. In the quarterfinals, when Kim Won-ho became exhausted and vomited in the third game, Jeong Nae-eun took over the match and won the last game against the ‘senior team’ Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yoo-jung.
The final itself was dramatic. Kim Won-ho and Jung Na-eun, ranked No. 8 in the world in mixed doubles, were in danger of being eliminated after going 1-2 in the group stage, but they made it to the quarterfinals ahead of the three teams tied on goal difference. After beating Malaysia to reach the quarterfinals, Kim Won Ho and Jung Na Eun said it was “like a dream,” and in their quarterfinal match against world No. 2 Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yoo Jung, the pair defied the odds to win a close match and punch their ticket to the final. It was the first time Korean badminton had reached an Olympic final in 16 years since 2008, regardless of the sport.
But in the final, they faced a very strong team. After pushing gold medal favorites Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yoo-jung to the third and fourth place match, Kim Won-ho and Jung Na-eun were hoping to show their mettle once again, but they were upset again in the final by the world’s No. 1 team, China, whom they had beaten in their last match of the group stage.
Kim Won-ho is the son of former Samsung Life coach Gil Young-ah, who won bronze in women’s doubles at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and gold in mixed doubles and silver in women’s doubles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He is the first South Korean to win an Olympic medal.