This from Business Week:
Fans jeered the Chinese and South Korean Olympic women’s badminton doubles teams for [intentional] poor play that drew a caution from the umpire and possible punishment from the sport’s governing body.
The fans want their money’s worth I guess. Tough s*** says China’s Yu Yang, the teams are holding out for the big event.
“If we’re not playing the best, it’s because it doesn’t matter,” she said. “The most important thing is the elimination match.”
Ah, yes. The Olympic competitive spirit continues to inspire.
UPDATE: HT to EnricoPallazo in the comments section. The link I used was indeed way to soft in its assessment. Go here for more dirt. (The video is unavailable outside the US, but the written part below it gives the full scoop)
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The link you chose was far too kind in its assessment. They were throwing matches, and they’ve been charged with misconduct by their organizing federation. In fact the Korean coach admitted to fixing the results, quite proudly, as retaliation against the Chinese.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/badminton/eight-women-charged-with-throwing-badminton-matches.html
S. Korea pair charged with “not using one’s best efforts to win a match’ and ‘conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport’,” the federation said in a statement.”
I don’t recall any team throwing women’s softball but for some reason it’s not part of the Olympics anymore. Instead, let’s play badminton and try to lose. What a farce! Wouldn’t picking opponents from a hat be better, it sounds like this type of play has been going on in past Olympic badminton matches but what to do? Or, how about whichever server can can hit the other players in the head or face with the birdie/shuttlecock the most consecutive times gets to choose their opponent?
I can’t imagine a human endeavor that China wouldn’t try to cheat at.
I’m weary of koreans blaming others.
I hope they’re all DQ’d.
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