Korea's Women's Badminton Doubles Miss Out on Medals at Paris 2024 Olympics

Paris=Park Chan-joon Reporter

Badminton players Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na expressed their regrets. 

Unfortunately, Korea's women's badminton doubles team failed to secure a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na were unable to advance to the semifinals, losing 0-2 to China’s Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in the quarterfinals at Porte de La Chapelle in Paris, France, on the 1st of August (Korean time).

Earlier, Kim So-young and Gong Hee-yong, ranked eighth in the world, also failed to reach the semifinals, dashing Korea’s hopes for a medal in women’s doubles. This event was initially seen as a strong medal contender for Korea, given the high rankings of its players.

Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na had a rocky start in the tournament, losing their first match to Denmark’s Maiken Fruergaard and Sara Thygesen (ranked 25th in the world) with scores of 18-21, 21-9, 14-21. Although they recovered by winning their next two matches against France’s Margot Lambert

and Anne Tran, and Thailand’s Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai with 2-0 victories, they only managed to advance to the quarterfinals as the second place team in Group D.

In the quarterfinals, they faced the formidable Chinese team of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, ranked third in the world, who had topped Group B with three straight wins. Lee and Baek struggled from the beginning, losing the first set 8-21 without gaining a significant foothold. The second set saw some brief moments of potential, but they ultimately lost 13-21, ending their Olympic run.

After the match, Lee So-hee shared her feelings, saying, "It's too bad as a result. I didn't perform well what I have practiced, which affected my game today. " This was Lee's third and final Olympics, and Baek Ha-na’s first. Lee reflected on her career, saying, "I wanted to pour everything out without any regret, but I'm sorry I couldn't finish it like that." Baek Ha-na added, "I was nervous and excited because it was my first Olympics. I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't help. Thanks to So-hee, I was able to come this far. It's been a valuable experience."

The earlier loss of Kim So-young and Gong Hee-yong added to the pressure. Lee remarked, "We wanted to win at least one match. I know how hard Soyoung worked, so it was emotional to watch her."

Concluding her Olympic journey, Lee So-hee expressed, "I wanted to finish these Olympics without any regret. But from the preliminaries to today, I regret not performing better. Preparing again made me realize I can't do it again. I want to end it happily now." She thanked her parents, who had come to Paris to support her. Baek Ha-na also expressed gratitude to her parents and hoped they enjoyed the quarterfinal stage despite the outcome.

Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na’s Olympic journey may have ended in disappointment, but their efforts and experiences will continue to inspire the next generation of athletes.