CHINA NATIONAL GAMES – Lin Dan strikes again

Once again, Lin Dan entered history, yesterday, in Liaoning, after becoming the first athlete in history to clinch 3 gold medals back-to-back in three editions of the China National Games, China’s mini-Olympics. Li Xuerui scooped the women’s singles title.

Raphael Sachetat. Photos: CFP (live)

Where will he stop? Lin Dan’s name is once again is on all lips for being the only Chinese athlete to secure gold medals in each of three consecutive editions of the Chinese National Games – a quadrennial multi-sport event that remains China’s major sporting event after the Olympic Games – where cities and provinces compete against each other in both team and individual events.

Lin Dan was set to meet up with Chen Long in the final, but the world #2 got stopped on the way by his compatriot Chen Yuekun, from Hubei province. The latter was then beaten by Du Pengyu, while Lin Dan was taking care of Huang Yuxiang. In the final, Lin took the best out of Du, winning 21-18, 21-5.

Li Xuerui also scooped gold, just like in London last summer. Li bounced back from her loss to Intanon in the final of the World Championships in Guangzhou.  She beat Han Li in the semi-final, while Liu Xin beat Sun Yu in the other semi-final. Both Wang Yihan and Wang Shixian were sent packing in the quarter-finals by their younger compatriots.  In the final, Li beat Liu 21-12, 21-19 to clinch her maiden title in the competition. Earlier in the week, the team competition had seen the women’s team of PLA beat Jiangsu and provide to Li Xuerui her first gold medal of the Games.

The doubles pairs were very different from the usual tournaments, as national team partners quite often come from different provinces; hence, new partnerships found themselves up on the podium – Guo Zhengdong and Hong Wei won the men’s doubles, Wang Xiaoli / Zhao  Yunlei took women’s doubles and Lu Kai / Yu Yang took gold in the mixed event.

Individual Events
Men’s singles: Gold – Lin Dan; Silver – Du Pengyu; Bronze – Chen Yuekun
Women’s singles: Gold – Li Xuerui; Silver – Liu Xin; Bronze-Han Li
Men’s doubles: Gold – Guo Zhendong / Hong Wei; Silver – Liu Cheng / Liu Xiaolong; Bronze – Fu Haifeng / Zhang Zhijun
Women’s doubles: Gold – Wang Xiaoli / Zhao  Yunlei; Silver – Cheng Shu / Tang Jinhua; Bronze – Luo Yu / Ma Jin
Mixed doubles: Gold – Lu Kai / Yu Yang; Silver – Zhang Nan / Yu Xiaohan ; Bronze – Xiong Shuai / Ma Jin

Men’s Team:
Gold – Fujian
Silver – Jiangsu
Bronze – People’s Liberation Army
Women’s Team
Gold – People’s Liberation Army
Silver – Jiangsu
Bronze – Guangdong