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2008 Olympics
2008 Olympics
UPDATED: July 30, 2007 NO.31 AUG.2, 2007
"Dream Team" Learns Lessons
China's badminton team-with the largest legion of world champion titleholders among all Chinese sports teams-prepares for 2008
By TANG YUANKAI
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In the China Masters Badminton Championships in July at Chengdu, the Chinese team pocketed four of the five titles, with only the women's doubles squad missing out on the fun. The confident and cocky badminton team had anticipated that it would take as many as five of the championships at the event.

Considering how strong they seemed coming into play, the turn for the worst for the women's doubles squad came as a bit of a shocker. It was the first time in the past 13 months that the women's doubles squad had lost a championship at an international competition. Because the China Masters was an Olympic qualification-ranking tournament, the defeat of the Chinese badminton team's strongest squad has created some worry and doubt about whether they can pull off a clean sweep next year.

"We should have grabbed all five champion titles," said Li Yongbo, head coach of Chinese national team. "We almost have a bit of shame at every China Masters. Last year we lost the men's double title."

Li pointed out that although the loss of one game shouldn't be overstressed, he would never allow his team to become overconfident about winning all the Olympic gold medals. He believes that the failure to defend the women's doubles title can serve as a good lesson to his athletes. "During the international competitions in the run-up to 2008 Olympics, we value the shortcomings exposed during the games more than the gold medals themselves."

The triumph of top-ranked men's singles player Lin Dan came as a big relief for coach Li, who has many expectations riding on this 23-year-old athlete. "He's had some tough experiences since the All England Open Badminton Championships," said Li. "The victory there proved that he's walked out of the valley."

Among all Chinese national teams preparing for the 2008 Olympic Games, the badminton team has the largest number of world championship title holders. When the Chinese team went to Scotland to defend its title at the Sudirman Cup World Mixed Badminton Championship in June, 16 out of the 17-member team had won at least one world championship title. Zhu Lin, the only one without a title, snatched a bronze medal in women's singles behind her teammates Zhang Ning and Xie Xingfang, who won gold and silver medals, respectively.

These performances have given Chinese badminton fans enough reason to attach national prestige to this "dream team" that they won't be satisfied with anything less than all five badminton gold medals at the 2008 Olympics.

A legend as a coach and athlete

Before heading China's badminton team, Li started his tenure by building a first-rate women's doubles squad. Under Li's coaching, several Chinese pairs quickly caught up with the top-ranked players in the world. In Atlanta in 1996, Ge Fei and Gu Jun snatched the gold in women's doubles competition. This was China's first gold medal in badminton since it became a Summer Olympics sport at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

The following four years became the Ge/Gu era on the women's doubles court, during which they grabbed almost every major championship title. Between the 1996 Japan Open and the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the pair stunned the world by not losing a single game during international competition. A splendid chapter was written into China's Olympic history when three Chinese pairs of women players occupied all three positions on the award podium at the Sydney Olympics.

Along with national pride, Li definitely feels the pressure to defend the glory of this team at the 2008 Olympics. "It is my dream and the dream of my team to achieve good results at the Beijing Olympic Games," he said.

Li, 45, is a badminton legend both as an athlete and as a coach. Twenty-three years ago, this badminton whiz kid made his international debut by pairing with Tian Bingyi, now deputy head coach, to grab the runner-up position at a world badminton tournament. This pair won two world tournament championship titles in 1987 and 1989 and scored the decisive point for the Chinese men's team to win the Thomas Cup, the top honor for men's national badminton teams. After retiring from the court, Li and Tian, became coaches for the national team.

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