In-form Li Xuerui gets the nod over Asian champ
Source: Agencies |
July 11, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA has omitted Asian Games singles champion Wang Shixian from its Olympic badminton team and picked 21-year-old talent Li Xuerui as the third and final entrant in the women's singles at the London Games.
The battle for the final spot between former world No. 1 Wang and Li sparked heated media speculation in China in recent weeks, with the first two slots already sewn up by world champion and No. 1 Wang Yihan and No. 2 Wang Xin. The three Wangs share the same surname but are not related.
Wang Shixian, once tipped to dominate Chinese badminton after winning gold on home soil at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, was surpassed by her teammates over the past year and a half amid fitness concerns.
Li has been in outstanding form this season, however, upsetting her top-ranked compatriot Wang Yihan to win the prestigious All England title in Birmingham in March before riding a 30-match winning streak that was broken only last month.
There were no other surprises in the team announces yesterday.
World No. 1 and reigning Olympic champion Lin Dan will lead the men's singles, supported by world No. 3 Chen Long and fourth-ranked Chen Jin. Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, who took silver at the Beijing Games, will lead the men's doubles in their attempt to go one better at the Wembley Arena.
Women's doubles Olympic champion Yu Yang will reprise her world title-winning partnership with Wang Xiaoli.
China successfully defended all five of their world titles at the Wembley Arena last year.
The battle for the final spot between former world No. 1 Wang and Li sparked heated media speculation in China in recent weeks, with the first two slots already sewn up by world champion and No. 1 Wang Yihan and No. 2 Wang Xin. The three Wangs share the same surname but are not related.
Wang Shixian, once tipped to dominate Chinese badminton after winning gold on home soil at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, was surpassed by her teammates over the past year and a half amid fitness concerns.
Li has been in outstanding form this season, however, upsetting her top-ranked compatriot Wang Yihan to win the prestigious All England title in Birmingham in March before riding a 30-match winning streak that was broken only last month.
There were no other surprises in the team announces yesterday.
World No. 1 and reigning Olympic champion Lin Dan will lead the men's singles, supported by world No. 3 Chen Long and fourth-ranked Chen Jin. Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, who took silver at the Beijing Games, will lead the men's doubles in their attempt to go one better at the Wembley Arena.
Women's doubles Olympic champion Yu Yang will reprise her world title-winning partnership with Wang Xiaoli.
China successfully defended all five of their world titles at the Wembley Arena last year.
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