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Indonesia claims badminton women's doubles gold in upset over China

Posted at 3:19 AM, Aug 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-02 09:06:42-04

Editor's note: This article will be updated throughout the day's action.

New badminton champions were crowed today as the last matches of the Tokyo Games wrapped up. Read on for more information on the women's doubles and the men's singles medal matches. 

Women's doubles gold medal match

MATCH STATS

A dance party broke out on a badminton court at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza after the women's doubles gold medal match. 

Indonesia's Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu celebrated their shocking win over China's Jia Yifan and Chen Qingchen by busting a move, sharing hugs and shedding tears of joy. The medal is Indonesia's first gold of the Tokyo Games and the nation's first medal in women's doubles. Of its eight total Olympic medals, all have been won in badminton. 

With their 2-0 victory, Polii and Rahayu made history as the first unseeded pair to ever win a gold in the women's doubles competition. It's the second time it's happened in Tokyo, as aduo representing Chinese Taipei did the same in the men's competition Saturday.

The Indonesian pair took an early lead over China, winning the first game 21-19. Disaster seemed to strike in Game 2 when Polii's racket broke, but Rahayu held her own while her teammate ran to get a replacement racket and still won the point. Together, they defeated Jia and Chen 21-15 in the second game to win gold. 

The medal is Polii's first in three Olympic appearances. She was disqualified in London and reached the quarterfinals in Rio. 

Women's doubles bronze medal match

MACTH STATS

No matter the outcome of the match, South Korea was leaving with a bronze. 

Kim So-Yeong and Kong Hee-Yong defeated fellow countrywomen Lee So-Hee and Shin Seung-Chan 2-0 to finish third. 

The bronze medalist won the first game easily, 21-10, and clinched victory in Game 2 with a final score of 21-17.

Men's singles gold medal match

MATCH STATS

Denmark's Viktor Axelsen dethroned 2016 Olympic champion Chen Long in the final match of the men's badminton singles tournament, and it wasn't particularly close. 

Axelsen was dominant throughout these Olympics, advancing through all his matches without losing a single set, and took an aggressive approach to downing Chen. He won the gold medal match 21-15, 21-12 and added a gold to the bronze he won in Rio. 

Chen's silver is China's second in badminton of the day, and the medal gives him a full Olympic set. He is the only male badminton player to have an Olympic medal in every color. 

China finishes the 2020 Olympics with five total badminton medals, the most of any country competing in Tokyo. 

Men's singles bronze medal match

MATCH STATS

Indonesia picked up a second badminton medal thanks to Anthony Ginting, who easily handled Guatemala's Kevin Cordon in the bronze medal match. 

Cordon never scored over 13 points and, at one point, trailed by 18. But he still made history as the first Guatemalan to ever play for an Olympic medal in badminton. The fourth-place finish is the best of his career after reaching the Round of 32 in Beijing and the Round of 16 in London. 

Ginting's bronze is Indonesia's first medal in men's singles since Taufik Hidayat won gold in 2004.He outscored Cordon 21-11, 21-13.