Tai Tzu-ying returns for final shot at Olympic gold – News

Badminton star Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) is set to make her fourth and final appearance at the Olympic Games this year. After winning silver in the Tokyo Olympics, Tai planned to retire, but decided to return once more, aiming for a gold medal to conclude her nearly 20-year career.

Since debuting on the world stage at 15, Tai achieved remarkable success, topping world rankings for 214 weeks and boosting badminton’s popularity in Taiwan. 

Tai, who turned 30 this year, says that preparing for this competition has been especially challenging due to the demands of maintaining high-intensity training at her age. However, she adds that she still has goals to strive for. Tai’s coach, Lai Chien-cheng (賴建誠) says Tai is improving daily and he believes she will handle the pressure well.

This year, Tai is expected to avoid strong competitors like An Se-young, Chen Yufei, and Carolina Marín in the quarterfinals, which will improve her chances of advancing to the semifinals and winning a medal. 

Preliminary rounds for women’s singles badminton at the Paris Olympics will run from July 27 to August 1, with the finals on August 5.