The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which has already been postponed for one year, will be kicked off on July 23. Recently, the Chinese national badminton team has named the squad for the Games, and Chen Qingchen, a 24-year-old athlete from Foshan is on the list. Besides, the other Foshan player, Zheng Pengfei, who won the first place at Canoeing Mens C-1 1000m in the qualifier in May, has been summoned into the Olympic team as well. Though it is the first time for both to participate in the Games, they both have the same ambition: to win Olympic gold.

Olympics postponed for one year: every coin has two sides

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games had to be put off for a year, which brought pros and cons to the contenders.

For Zheng Pengfei, the pandemic prevented him from attending any international competitions. During this long time, he has been through systematic training persistently. In May, before he attended the qualifier held in Tailand, he had to be quarantined for two weeks in a hotel room, where he was not able to do the routine training on the canoe. Even so, he kept strength exercise every day. In the competition, he won the first place, 6 seconds faster than the ones behind him and helped the national team win a seat in the Games.

　　Zheng Pengfei 

Since Chen Qingchen has not taken part in international games for 13 months, she found that she is now not able to find out coping strategies during the game as quick as she did in 2019. However, she regained her confidence through a three-day mock match.

Gold medal is the ultimate goal

　　Chen Qingchen (left) and her partner

Chen Qingchen and her partner, ranking second at the Badminton Womens Doubles on the global list, are aiming to beat the strong counterparts from Japan, Indonesia and Korea, with the hope of taking home the glory for national team.

Zheng Pengfei and his partner harbour a clear goal of taking the gold medal home. Though they have not attended the game together for more than one year, as the best players of the event, they are expected to win medals.

These two Foshan athletes will make their debut at this Olympics and they are all expected to be the champions. Chen Qingchen is the only one from Guangdong in national badminton team, while Zheng Pengfei is the hope to win China’s first Olympic gold medal of canoeing. 

　　Zheng Pengfei and his first coach

Author | Ivy

Editor | Jersey

Photo | Foshan Daily