Badminton: Chen Qingchen asks fans to temper Olympic expectations after China Open title win
- World champions Chen and Jia Yifan have supporters dreaming of Paris 2024 glory as they add another doubles title on home soil
- But the 26-year-old admits ‘I really need to give myself a break’ after battling illness all week and ‘overcoming difficulties’ in Changzhou
Chen Qingchen has asked her fans to temper their Olympic expectations after her China Open doubles title win with Jia Yifan on Sunday.
The Chinese pair – who also won the World Championship doubles crown last month – defeated South Korean duo Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee 21-11, 21-17 in the final at Xincheng Gymnasium in the eastern city of Changzhou.
It was a third triumph at the home event for Chen – who later revealed she had been ill throughout the tournament.
“I am very happy to win this,” Chen wrote in a post on her official Weibo account. “I’ve been coughing from last week until the beginning of the match.
“I encountered many difficulties and I did not expect to be able to overcome them with my partners. Many people think we deserve to win. I know how difficult it is every time, and I am very grateful to the many spectators and fans who cheer me on and encourage me.”
Chen’s and Jia’s victory was trending on Chinese social media, with excited fans looking ahead to the 2024 Paris Olympics next summer.