Zheng Siwei / Huang Yaqiong ranked first in the world in badminton mixed doubles. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
On July 29, the two-pair mixed doubles combination of the Chinese badminton team won the semi-finals and won the gold and silver medals of the Olympic Games in advance. In this afternoon's final, the world's no. 1 Zheng Siwei / Huang Yaqiong saved two match points in the decider, losing 1-2 to teammates Wang Yilu / Huang Dongping, and won a silver medal. The "IELTS" combination is the partner that Guoyu focuses on in this Olympic cycle, and the strength and appearance coexist.
Good partner
"IELTS" gets along well and gives gifts to each other
Since 2017, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong have partnered in mixed doubles, quickly polished and formed, rushing all the way to the world first, during which they won the 2018 World Championships and the Asian Games, and in 2019, in addition to defending the World Championships and re-winning the Sudirman Cup with the team, they also reached the top of 6 open tournaments and sat firmly in the mixed doubles.
Participating in the Olympic Games for the first time, the "IELTS" combination did not lose a set in 5 foreign games, and met with his teammates in the final, even if he was too behind in the process, he also showed excellent ability to play against the wind, and the control of the situation and the implementation of pre-match preparations were also very in place.
In Zheng Siwei's view, the key to the long-term relationship between partners lies in trust and tolerance, especially in times of adversity. When it comes to how to deal with differences of opinion with Huang Yaqiong, Zheng Weiwei will first persuade and comfort, and then if he does not work, he will let the other party calm down; Huang Yaqiong also said that he will be discouraged when he calms down.
The "IELTS" combination is willing to share in business and get along well in life. The two will praise each other's appearance and send gifts on birthdays. Huang Yaqiong said that the coin purse received on her last birthday was very satisfactory; Zheng Siwei bluntly said that the gift package sent by his 3-year-old partner included shoes, pens and so on, which was full of surprises.
The "IELTS" combo celebrates scoring. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
Zheng Siwei
He was injured twice during the lockdown
In the face of the question of "how many partners rank first in the men's team", Huang Yaqiong once cleverly answered, knowing that fans called Zheng Siwei "male god". However, in the eyes of the parties, such a title is more about the ball skill.
As of 2019, the 22-year-old Zheng Siwei has won the World Championships, Sudirman Cup and Asian Games three major championships, establishing a dominant position in mixed doubles events.
Due to the epidemic, The national feather has not appeared in the international arena for 18 months since the All England Open in March last year, and this time it directly landed on the Olympic field. During more than a year of training, Zheng Siwei injured his wrist last year, then strained his leg, and for almost a month he did not take a racket, and the training plan of the two was affected.
Fortunately, the injury was "removed" before the start of the Badminton Super League at the end of August last year, and he was able to catch this precious opportunity to compete, to mobilize his form and emotions, and to adjust all aspects to the best in this year's sprint stage, re-emerging as the top seed in the Olympic arena.
Huang Yaqiong is regarded as a "goddess" by fans. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
Huang Yaqiong
He once performed songs on the same stage with Wang Junkai
Huang Yaqiong is a goddess-like existence in the hearts of badminton fans, with equal emphasis on appearance and ball skills, and even Zheng Siwei has praised it, but this good-looking little sister showed the side of "hot hands destroying flowers" as soon as she arrived at the arena.
The article on the official website of the BWF once quoted the opponent as saying that Huang Yaqiong "never made mistakes, as stable as Taishan" in front of the net, which can always put a lot of pressure on the opponent. In this Olympic Games, the stable output in front of the net and excellent defense have provided great help for the partner to seize the opportunity.
In fact, Huang Yaqiong has a gentle personality off the field, and Zheng Siwei therefore describes her as a "kitten". This Zhejiang girl also loves to be pretty like many girls, and there is a favorite artist Wang Junkai, who often pays attention to the latter's dynamics on social media.
At the 2019 CCTV "May Fourth" party, Huang Yaqiong and Zheng Siwei, as well as swimming world champion Liu Xiang, performed the song "Youth Jumps Up" with Wang Junkai's TFBOYS group. That night, Huang Yaqiong posted a photo with Wang Junkai on social media, chasing the star "punching the card successfully" and writing: "A strong youth is a strong country." "Olympic athletes winning glory for the country is the best inspiration for the youth of the new era."
Beijing News reporter Liu Chen
Edited by Wang Chunqiu Proofreader Li Lijun