Olympics-Badminton-After Tokyo fan ban, players struggle to see shuttlecock in Paris crowds

Paris 2024 Olympics - Badminton - Women's Doubles Group play stage - Porte de La Chapelle Arena, Paris, France - July 30, 2024. So Yeong Kim of South Korea reacts during the Group C match with Hee Yong Kong of South Korea against Nami Matsuyama of Japan and Chiharu Shida of Japan. REUTERS/Ann Wang

PARIS (Reuters) - Several badminton shuttlers whose first or second Olympics were in Tokyo, where there were no crowds, are struggling to see the shuttlecock while playing in Paris amid distracting, lively fans and jarring lights.

Badminton's shuttlecock - or birdie - with its open cone of goose feathers embedded in a rounded cork base, can move faster than projectiles in any other racket sport. It usually weighs about five grams and has feathers shorter than 70 millimetres.