China's Zheng Si Wei, left, and Huang Ya Qiong celebrate after defeating South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun during their mixed doubles badminton final match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. - AP
PARIS (dpa): Top seeds Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong claimed badminton mixed doubles Olympic gold for China in commanding fashion in Paris on Friday.
The three-time world champions and Tokyo 2020 silver medallists defeated unseeded South Koreans Kim Won Ho and Jeong Na Eun 21-8, 21-11 in the gold medal match at La Chapelle Arena.
Zheng and Huang did not drop a set in their six matches and in an all Chinese quarter-final had ousted second seeded Tokyo gold medallist Huang Dong Ping with new partner Feng Yan Zhe.
They set the stage early in the final by racing off to a 4-0 lead, with the large Chinese contingent wildly cheering each stroke, and everyone delighting in an extraordinary 83-stroke rally.
Kim and Jeong got the first lead for 1-0 in the second set, and then were 4-3 up before the Chinese meant business again. Seven points in a row saw then 10-4 up.
It was all over soon afterwards on second match point as China got a fifth gold from eight Olympic editions of the event.
Japan's Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino got bronze like in Tokyo, 21-13, 22-20 over South Korean third seeds Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yu Jung.- dpa
