Born: March 14, 1979 in Wuhan, Hubei (Gao); November 26, 1983 in Hunan (Zheng)
Entry: Mixed doubles
Credentials: Gold at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 (Gao w/Zhang Jun)
Why they'll win: Because Gao is within touching distance of history. With 14 major titles including two Olympic golds, Gao is already the most successful Chinese shuttler in history. Gold in Beijing would earn her a first ever hat-trick and a place in the sporting pantheon. Gao's first two titles came with Zhang Jun, and this time her challenge is adapting to new partner Zheng Bo. They have certainly clicked - they won gold at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and have been ranked number one since - but the partnership is unusual. 'In a normal mixed team, the male player calls the shots, but in our case Gao controls everything,' Zheng says. 'I just wish I could do more to take some of the burden off her back.'
Who can stop them: Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir (Indonesia), Nathan Robertson/ Gail Emms (Britain)
Final: Sunday, August 17th