Gold for China at 2016 Rio Olympic Games
Since the Team’s Event has been introduced at the Olympic Games only one nation wins gold in Women’s tournament. Successful in Beijing and London; at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games the top seeds China once again struck gold. In the final DING Ning LI Xiaoxia and LIU Shiwen prevailed against the third seeded German trio formed by HAN Ying SHAN Xiaona and Petrissa SOLJA.
China won by three matches to nil and thus maintained their stunning record in the Women’s Team event at an Olympic Games; they have never at any stage of the competition since introduced in 2008 lost an individual match. On the other side Germany become the first non-Asian trio to win a medal in the Women’s Team event at an Olympic Games
LI Xiaoxia the silver medalist earlier in the proceedings in Rio de Janeiro in the Women’s Singles event faced the backspin skills of HAN Ying and recorded straight games win (11-9 11-3 11-7). LIU Shiwen stayed on the same path against Petrissa SOLJA; she emerged successful in three straight games (11-3 11-5 11-4)
DING Ning and LIU Shiwen faced SHAN Xiaona and Petrissa SOLJA; the German duo won the third game and in the fourth when reducing the gap to one point at 7-6 down caused KONG Linghui the Chinese Women’s Team coach to call ”Time Out”. The wise words worked. DING Ning and LIU Shiwen obeyed orders to win in four games (10-6 11-5 10-12 11-7).
China have won the Women’s Singles title on all eight occasions and now the Women’s Team title on all three occasions when the event have been staged. Also they won the Women’s Doubles title four times. It is only in Seoul in 1988 when they did not complete the clean sweep; on that occasion they had to settle for silver. CHEN Jing and JIAO Zhimin were beaten in the Women’s Doubled final by Korea’s HYUN Junhwa and YANG Youngja.
