Paris Olympics: badminton gold not a guarantee for China, despite favourites tag

Chinese success in Paris is virtually guaranteed with the likes of Chen Yufei leading the charge, but high rankings do not necessarily translate into medals at the Olympics, where the pressure to perform is unlike any other competition.

The Tokyo Games three years ago delivered a series of dramatic upsets, near misses and high emotions – from Guatemalan Kevin Cordon’s stunning run to the semi-finals to the early exit of Japanese top seed Kento Momota.

Not one top-ranked player or pair won gold in Tokyo. In fact, in the men’s singles and doubles and women’s doubles, the favourites did not medal at all.