In the badminton arena of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Phoenix pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping were favored as the No. 2 seeds, but they faced many challenges due to the organizers' schedule.
Despite their excellent group stage, they won one game before being pulled back by the Malaysian pair.
In the deciding game, the coaching staff was busy, and the pressure increased dramatically, and they finally lost.
On July 29, in the mixed doubles group D, Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping, the "Phoenix Pair" with high hopes, encountered a lot of twists and turns.
Previously, the "Phoenix Combination" was in the first two rounds of the group.
In the first round against Qiu Kaixiang/Jenny of United States, they showed absolute dominance with a comfortable victory of 21-11, 21-14.
Then they faced Singapore's Xu Yongkai / Tan Wei Han in the second round, and then won 21-13, 21-17 to win two consecutive victories and show their strong strength and good competitive form.
On matchday three, the "Phoenix Pair" suffered a Waterloo, losing 1-2 to Malaysia's Tan Tang Kit/Du Yi Wei.
The course of this game was full of ups and downs.
In the first game, the "Phoenix Combination" was like a rainbow, taking the lead 21-17, giving the opponent a disadvantage.
But in the second game, they seemed to be a little lost, losing 15-21.
In the deciding game, they lost 16-21.
Despite this defeat, a 2-1 record in the first two rounds was able to secure a run-in with Chen Tangjie/Du Yiwei to advance to the knockout rounds.
In fact, the "Phoenix Combination" has played against Chen Tangjie/Du Yiwei three times before, with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss.
The result of this contest was unexpected.
Maybe it's the ups and downs of form, maybe it's the opponent's extraordinary performance, or maybe it's some details in the game that are not handled properly, which led to the final result.
But the beauty of sports is the uncertainty, and no one can remain unbeaten forever.
Looking at Chen Tangjie/Du Yiwei, their performance in the first two rounds of the group is also remarkable.
The first round of the 23-21, 21-12 victory over Singapore's Koh Yong Kai/Tan Wei Han was a close match, and it was only in the second game that the gap gradually widened.
Then, in the second round, they defeated Qiu Kaixiang/Jenny of United States 21-15, 24-22, especially in the second game, the scores of the two sides alternated and the competition was extremely fierce, and finally Chen Tangjie/Du Yiwei narrowly won.
With the end of the group stage, the curtain of the knockout stage is about to begin.
In the early morning of August 1, Beijing time, this more fierce battle was about to begin.
And in the knockout draw on July 30, fate seemed to play a joke on the Chinese team.
The two Chinese contestants were drawn to draw the lottery, and the "IELTS" pair Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong and the "Phoenix" pair Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping will meet in the quarter-finals in advance.
The originally expected vision of "two pairs of teachers winning gold and silver medals in the finals" has been unable to be realized.
You must know that the two pairs of players Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong and Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping of the Chinese badminton team participating in the mixed doubles competition of the Olympic Games are ranked first and second respectively in the World Badminton Federation, and their strength is outstanding.
The mixed doubles event has always been regarded as the most certain event for the national feather to win the gold medal.
In the group stage, the "IELTS" combination made great progress all the way, winning three consecutive victories and winning the first place in the group, showing strong dominance.
Due to this defeat, the "Phoenix Combination" only finished second in the group and lost the initiative in the knockout draw.
Other group winners were Korea's Seo Seung Jae/Choi Yoo Jue, Japan's Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino and Chen Tangjie/To Yi Shu.
The 1/4 knockout matches have been confirmed: Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong vs. Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping in the first half, Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino vs. Thailand's Dechapol/Sasiree;
In the lower half, Hong Kong's Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet take on Seo Seung Jae/Choi Yoo Yu, and Korea's Kim Won-ho/Jung Na-eun take on Chen Tangjie/To Yi Shu.
In such a situation, what we see is not only the victory or defeat of the competition, but also the tenacity and hard work of the athletes in the face of difficulties and challenges.
Every swing and every drop of sweat embodies their dreams and efforts.
The roar after every score, the frustration after every loss, is a true portrayal of their extreme desire to win.
For the "Phoenix Pair", the defeat in the group stage was a setback, but it was also an opportunity to grow.
They need to learn from their failures, adjust their mentality, and prove themselves again in the knockout rounds.
In the game, maybe the tactical execution is not in place, maybe the mentality has fluctuated, or maybe the opponent is not studied thoroughly enough.
But these can all be improved through post-match reviews and targeted training.
In the knockout rounds, they need to be more focused, more confident and perform at their best.
As for the "IELTS combination", although it occupies an advantageous position, it cannot be taken lightly.
Every opponent should not be underestimated, and the slightest negligence can lead to a stumble.
They need to be vigilant and continue to build on their strengths, while being prepared to deal with difficulties.
The organizers' schedule may have caused some confusion for the Chinese team, and the short interval between the two pairs of the Chinese team has brought challenges to the coaching staff.
This requires the coaching staff to carefully develop tactics and rationalize the athletes' physical fitness and rest time.
At the same time, athletes also need to adapt quickly to this rhythm and adjust their condition.
But this is also a test for the Chinese badminton team, how to deal with adversity, how to adjust, how to maintain confidence, these are all problems that need to be solved.
The sports arena is like the arena of life, with ups and downs, wins and defeats.
The important thing is not the momentary gains and losses, but the desire for victory and the pursuit of dreams in this long journey.
Every athlete has paid countless sweat and hard work, and they continue to fight for the honor of the country and their dreams.
In the process, the tenacity, courage and perseverance they showed were more precious than the gold medal.
We believe that Chinese badminton players will shine in Paris.
Whatever the outcome, they are heroes in our hearts.
They exemplify the spirit of sportsmanship with their actions and inspire us to move forward in life.
Let's cheer for them together and look forward to them creating miracles in the next games, winning glory for the motherland and fighting for their dreams!
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