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.
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But Chen urged them to not put so much pressure on her, and her teammates, with plenty of other major events up first on the horizon, including the BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in April.
“Many people also sent me private messages [referring to] things like the Olympics. I am very grateful to you for thinking so far ahead for us,” she said.
“But if we [focus on] the Olympics, will we definitely win [other events] now? If you [then] lose at the Olympics, you will have nothing. Even the results of next week’s competition may not be the same, let alone something so far away.
“All we can do now is to train hard every day, be worthy of our body, ensure our health, finish the competition well and start preparing for the [next event].
“My nerves have been tense all the time. Now I really need to give myself a break.”
It appeared that the 26-year-old’s words had the desired effect on supporters of the “Fanchen” duo, as they are collectively known.
“Have a good rest. Every championship since the World Championships is a bonus. You are already very successful,” one user commented on her post.
“Eat well, drink well, rest well and take good care of yourself. That’s awesome. We are so lucky to have you,” another said.
“I just hope that you two are healthy and happy whether you are competing or not,” a fan wrote.
