PARIS (TVBS News) — Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) successfully defended their title of Olympic badminton men’s doubles champions on Sunday (Aug. 4) in Paris. They defeated China's Wang Chang (王昶) and Liang Weikeng (梁偉鏗) 21-17, 18-21, 21-19, becoming the first men’s doubles team in Olympic history to win back-to-back titles.
Wang Chi-lin reflected on the hard-earned title and their rough patch following the Tokyo Olympics. He shared their emotional experience, saying, "Standing on the podium again and hearing the National Flag anthem on the international stage deeply touched us."
Lee Yang, 29, who plans to retire this year, expressed gratitude to their supporters: "We truly appreciate all the spectators and supporters on-site and those cheering us on from behind the screen. Their encouragement helped us persevere."
Badminton coach Liu Jia-cheng (劉佳成) praised the duo for maintaining a positive mindset despite not being favored to win. He addressed concerns about a potential talent gap in Taiwanese badminton following Lee's retirement, saying, "Perhaps on the institutional side, we can make adjustments to allow young athletes to gain international experience earlier."
"Coaches and senior players, like Lee Yang, can pass on their skills to them, which I believe would be very beneficial," Liu said, underscoring Taiwan's badminton training environment is strong and capable of nurturing talented players.
As the third pair in Olympic badminton history to reach consecutive men’s doubles finals, Lee and Wang’s back-to-back golds set a new precedent, making all Taiwanese people proud.
This victory marks Taiwan’s first gold medal at the Paris Games. Since the 2004 Athens Olympics, Taiwan has secured at least one gold medal in every Olympic Games, showcasing Taiwan’s athletic strength.
