The Australian Badminton doubles pairing of Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu proved what they were capable of when they defeated India 2-0 in the final match of their Olympic campaign.
The pair made a pre-match pact to enjoy the match against India, a team they’d never played before. The duo also conceded they were driven by the determination to not finish last after losing their opening two matches to powerhouses Korea and Japan.
While Setyana and Angela have only been together for 12 months they entered the Olympics ranked No.28 in the world. The lessons they’ve gained from Paris - against powerhouses Japan and Korea, no less - will ensure they continue to climb through the ranks.
Tiffany Ho received a tough Olympic initiation when her first match was staged on the court adjacent to France and Thailand. The noise from the home crowd was so deafening she could barely hear her own thoughts, let alone the instructions of coach Leanne Choo.
While Tiffany did not win a match, the scoreboard didn’t reflect the intensity of her matches or the fight she displayed. Indeed, Tiffany, a nurse, threw herself around the court with no apparent concern for her own wellbeing. The experience she gained will be an ally as she plots her course to compete at Los Angeles in 2028.
London 2012 Olympian Leanne, who made history by becoming Australia’s first female badminton coach, prepared the players well and ensured they competed strongly, even though she'd agree there were lessons learnt from her baptism of fire.
