Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung finished fourth in the mixed doubles at the Paris Olympic badminton tournament Friday, falling just short of a medal less than 24 hours after losing to a fellow South Korean team in the semifinals.
Seo and Chae, world No. 2 and the 2023 world champions, lost to Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan 2-0 (21-13, 22-20) in the bronze medal match at La Chapelle Arena in Paris.
Chae Yu-jung (L) and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea react to their loss to Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan in the bronze medal match in the mixed doubles badminton event at the Paris Olympics at La Chapelle Arena in Paris on Aug. 2, 2024. (Yonhap)
On Thursday, Seo and Chae had lost to Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun in the semifinals.
Kim and Jeong will go for the gold medal in the final later Friday against Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, world No. 1 from China.
South Korea’s previous medal in the mixed doubles had come in 2008, when Lee Hyo-jung and Lee Yong-dae won gold in Beijing.
Chae Yu-j
ung (L) and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea play against Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan during the bronze medal match in the mixed doubles badminton event at the Paris Olympics at La Chapelle Arena in Paris on Aug. 2, 2024. (Yonhap)
Seo and Chae led 5-2 early in the first game, before the Japanese tandem reeled off five straight points to grab a 7-5 lead. With South Korea up 8-7, Japan scored five unanswered points for another rally before closing out the game 21-13.
The second game was a tighter affair. South Korea took its first lead of the game at 14-13 and a seesaw match ensued.
Seo and Chae went up 18-17, three points away from extending the match, but then the Japanese team fought back to set up bronze medal point at 20-18.
South Korea pulled into a 20-20 tie, with Seo making some acrobatic shots. But Watanabe and Higashino wouldn’t be denied, as they won the final two points to clinch their bronze medal.
Seo competed in both the mixed doubles and the men’s doubles in Paris but came up emp
ty-handed.
Seo and Chae had lost in the quarterfinals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and couldn’t get over the hump again this time.
Chae Yu-jung (L) and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea play against Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan during the bronze medal match in the mixed doubles badminton event at the Paris Olympics at La Chapelle Arena in Paris on Aug. 2, 2024. (Yonhap)
“We worked really hard over the past three years after Tokyo, but I think it’s just our fate that we could only come this far,” Seo said. “The result is disappointing but we did our best.”
Chae, 29, said she arrived in Paris thinking this would be her final Olympics.
“I had such a good year last year, winning some big titles, and I really wanted to do well here,” Chae said. “I am really sorry to Seung-jae. He threw his body around and battled until the end. I am grateful for that.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency