After losing the final of the Tokyo Olympics, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong stood on the Olympic final again.
On August 2, local time, the "IELTS combination" welcomed Korea opponent Kim Won-ho/Zheng Na-eun in the badminton mixed doubles final, and in the first game, the Chinese pair quickly entered the state, leading all the way and winning the first game 21-8; In the second game, the Chinese combination continued to form a crushing trend, and won another game 21-11, defeating the opponent with a total score of 2-0 to win the gold medal.
After the game, Zheng Siwei said: "Today we are not here to compete, but to work hard. ”
Tokyo lost and rose again
At the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong were the top seeds in the mixed doubles and ranked No. 1 in the mixed doubles world. In the Olympic arena, they are the deservedly favorite to win the championship.
However, after making it all the way to the final, they failed to take away the victory in the final hurdle, losing 1-2 to teammates Wang Yilyu/Huang Dongping and failing to win the gold medal.
In the end, the Chinese team won the gold medal, which naturally made the whole team happy, but for the "IELTS combination", the blow was also unavoidable. "There are a lot of gains, but there may still be some regrets." After the Olympic Games, Huang Yaqiong once described her state of mind to The Paper reporter.
But after the defeat, the two did not sink there, but actively looked for their own problems and tried to start all over again.
"There may be times when my thoughts and mentality fluctuate greatly. You need to focus more on this aspect of the problem, continue to maintain your competitive state, and improve yourself in all aspects. Zheng Siwei said.
The Tokyo Olympics were the pair's first Olympic competition, and now they have gone through an Olympic cycle again, and the two have a different state of mind.
"Forget the past, just look at the future." It was a goal that the duo set for themselves after their trip to Tokyo, and they continued to be in good form as the Paris Olympics drew closer.
At the moment, Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong are still ranked No. 1 in the mixed doubles world, and they are still the favorites to win the championship after winning many international championships in the Paris cycle.
Three consecutive wins in the group stage, defeating teammates Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping in the quarterfinals, and defeating the Japan pair Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino in the semifinals...... Coming to the Olympic final for the second time, the "IELTS Combination" did not want to pass by the gold medal again this time.
"Last time we lost in the final, I think this time it's a challenge for ourselves. We will definitely do our best, leave no regrets, and definitely attack this championship. Zheng Siwei said.
The role has changed, but the fighting spirit is still the same
For the "IELTS combination", the Olympic championship is the final goal of the two, as Zheng Siwei said, "I have won everything that should be won, only the Olympics, and I also regard it as my last Olympics." ”
Huang Yaqiong also admitted frankly that she is preparing for the Paris Olympics as her "last competition", "Maintain a positive attitude, we will solve problems when they come, and solve difficulties when they are difficult." ”
In fact, at the beginning of the Paris Olympic cycle, the Chinese mixed doubles ace pair were in crisis. At the 2021 World Championships, the defending champions suffered a round trip. At the beginning of 2022, Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong was even dismantled by the coaching staff and each had a new partner.
But that wasn't the end of the story of the 'IELTS pair', as just four months after the team was dismantled, the pair restarted their partnership and then staged a 38-match winning streak in 2022 to return to No. 1 in the world rankings.
"After we came back, we were more cohesive and cherished each other more." Zheng Siwei said frankly. Huang Yaqiong also said, "Everyone can see each other's shortcomings and discover each other's strengths, so they can quickly enter the feeling they had before." ”
Compared with the previous cycle, the division of labor between the two on the field has quietly changed slightly, for example, Zheng Siwei's large-scale reception in the midfield is more difficult than before, so Huang Yaqiong will protect more than before.
And in terms of mentality, the two have also become more mature. "It's a little easier, I would have felt like a big deal if I lost the game before, but now I feel that the most important thing is to find out the problem and solve it in time after losing the game, and I think it's a lot better than the previous mentality." Huang Yaqiong said.
Off the court, Zheng Siwei also ushered in a new role in life in the Paris cycle - entering the marriage hall, ushering in the birth of his son, and the family behind him also gave him more motivation, "more responsible." Dad must be a good role model, and don't want children to give up easily when they see dad in difficulty. ”
All the precipitation and progress are in order to win the final championship in the Paris Olympics, and the arrival of the final gold medal has not made the sweat of the "IELTS combination" not in vain.
And such a heavy gold medal is also the first gold medal won by the Chinese badminton team in this Olympic Games, after winning the good start, the national badminton will also hit the top podium in more events.