“I will carry the momentum of my world No. 1 ranking to the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.”
The ‘Shuttlecock Empress’ Ahn Se-young (21-Samsung Life – World No. 1) has her sights set on the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in September. Last month, she became the first woman to reach No. 1 in the women’s singles rankings in 27 years, since Hwang Soo-hyun in 1996, but she’s still hungry.
“I still have the memory of the gold medal I won at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games in my head,” Ahn said at the Korea Badminton Association’s media day at the Jincheon National Athletes’ Village on Saturday. “Five years ago, I lacked a lot, and I have been preparing thoroughly to show a good performance in Hangzhou.”
For Ahn, the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games was an “incomplete burn”. She was knocked to her knees by her nemesis Chen Yufei (China-3rd) in the women’s singles round of 32. In the women’s team event, Sung Ji-hyun, the national badminton team’s women’s singles coach, along with Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, failed to advance past the quarterfinals against Indonesia. The team, which was in the midst of a generational transition at the time, suffered its first-ever Asian Games non-medal.
But Ahn has come on in leaps and bounds over the past five years. She began her adult career in February 2018 at No. 1335 in the world rankings, but within five years and five months, she had risen to No. 1. Recently, she has been ranked in the top four alongside Akane Yamaguchi (Japan, No. 2) and Chen Yufei and Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei, No. 4), making her a strong gold medal contender in the women’s singles at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Kim Hak-gyun, the team’s head coach, said, “At the Hangzhou Asian Games, we will cleanse the shame of five years ago. We will aim for medals in all events,” he said, adding, “Especially women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles are the medal boxes.” He expressed his expectations for Ahn Se-young.
Ahn has already shaken off the pressure of being ranked No. 1 in the world. Instead, she looks forward to international competitions as the world’s strongest player. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel pressure after being ranked No. 1. However, I’m already wondering what it’s like to play as the No. 1,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the Asian Games and preparing hard for it. I’m looking forward to the Asian Games, and I’ll do my best to showcase my No. 1 form.” 메이저놀이터
Fans around the world will be watching the top four closely. Ahn Se-young is aware of this and has been working with her coach Sung on a customized strategy. “Tai Ziying is fast and aggressive. Chen Yufei doesn’t have the same tempo as (Ahn), and Yamaguchi is tricky because she doesn’t give her opponents good balls,” Sung said, adding that Ahn has started to show different patterns in her game lately, adapting to her opponents.
Ahn concluded, “Before the Asian Games, we have the World Individual Championships in Denmark and the China Open. If she continues to enjoy this process, she will definitely have an advantage against Yamaguchi, Chen Yufei and Tai Zhiying.”