Chinese badminton player Huang Ya Qiong celebrated a golden victory at the Olympics today. Partnering with Zheng Siwei, the duo triumphed over South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun with a decisive score of 21-8, 21-11 in the mixed doubles final, completing an undefeated run in Paris. As she donned her gold medal, Huang was unexpectedly proposed to by Li Yuchen, a fellow member of China’s badminton team.
Huang expressed her surprise at the proposal, especially since her focus had been on the competition. “Today I am an Olympic champion and I got proposed to, so that’s something I didn’t expect,” she stated through an interpreter.
Previously silver medalists at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, Huang and Zheng showcased their prowess by going 3-0 in group play and securing the top seed for the quarterfinals, ultimately finishing the tournament with a perfect record of 6-0 without losing a single game.
Zheng shared his own experience of getting engaged three years ago, expressing that Huang’s double blessing of winning gold and receiving a proposal was a remarkable moment. “I think it must be happier for her,” he commented. “Last time it was purely for my proposal, but this time is basically double lucky things happening at the same time.”
In the bronze-medal match, Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino claimed victory against South Korea’s Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung with scores of 21-13, 22-20. While they had won bronze three years ago, they voiced disappointment at not surpassing that achievement. “The bronze medal is not the best. I wanted the gold medal, but this is better than nothing,” Yuta remarked.
With the win in mixed doubles, China continued its dominance in the event, having secured gold in back-to-back Olympics and five out of eight opportunities since it became a medal event in 1996. Wang Yilyu, who claimed gold in Tokyo with Huang Dong Ping, partnered with Feng Yan Zhe in Paris but was defeated by Zheng and Huang in the quarterfinals.
Looking ahead, China is guaranteed gold and silver in women’s doubles badminton, with Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan set to compete against Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in an all-Chinese final on Saturday.