Badminton at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's doubles

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Badminton women's doubles
at the Games of the XXX Olympiad
Venue Wembley Arena
Date28 July to 4 August
Competitors32 from 13 nations
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Tian Qing
Zhao Yunlei
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Silver medal icon.svg Mizuki Fujii
Reika Kakiiwa
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Bronze medal icon.svg Valeria Sorokina
Nina Vislova
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia

The badminton women's doubles tournament at the 2012 Olympic Games in London took place from 28 July to 4 August at Wembley Arena.

The draw for the tournament was made on 23 July 2012. [1] [2] Thirty-two players from 14 nations competed in the event.

The competition became embroiled in controversy during the group stage when eight players (two pairs from South Korea and one pair each from China and Indonesia) were ejected from the tournament by the Badminton World Federation after being found guilty of "not using best efforts" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" by playing to lose matches in order to manipulate the draw for the knockout stage. In one match, both teams made a series of basic errors, and in one match the maximum rally was just four shots.

Competition format

The tournament started with a group phase round-robin followed by a knockout stage. [3]

Seeds

  1. Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Wang Xiaoli / Yu Yang  (CHN)(group stage, disqualified)
  2. Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Qing / Zhao Yunlei  (CHN)(gold medalists)
  3. Flag of South Korea.svg  Ha Jung-eun / Kim Min-jung  (KOR)(group stage, disqualified)
  4. Flag of Japan.svg  Mizuki Fujii / Reika Kakiiwa  (JPN)(silver medalists)

Results

Group stage

Group A

TeamPldWLSWSLPts
Flag of South Korea.svg  Jung Kyung-eun / Kim Ha-na  (KOR)33060DQ
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Wang Xiaoli / Yu Yang  (CHN)32142DQ
Flag of Russia.svg  Valeria Sorokina / Nina Vislova  (RUS)312241
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Alexandra Bruce / Michelle Li  (CAN)303060
Team 1ScoreTeam 2
28 July, 19:05
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Wang X / Yu Y  (CHN)21–11
21–7
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Bruce / Li  (CAN)
29 July, 09:40
Flag of South Korea.svg  Jung K-e / Kim H-n  (KOR)21–5
21–11
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Bruce / Li  (CAN)
29 July, 18:30
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Wang X / Yu Y  (CHN)21–6
21–9
Flag of Russia.svg  Sorokina / Vislova  (RUS)
30 July, 09:40
Flag of South Korea.svg  Jung K-e / Kim H-n  (KOR)23–21
21–18
Flag of Russia.svg  Sorokina / Vislova  (RUS)
31 July, 08:30
Flag of Russia.svg  Sorokina / Vislova  (RUS)21–8
21–10
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Bruce / Li  (CAN)
31 July, 19:07
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Wang X / Yu Y  (CHN)14–21
11–21
Flag of South Korea.svg  Jung K-e / Kim H-n  (KOR)

Group B

TeamPldWLSWSLPts
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Cheng Wen-hsing / Chien Yu-chin  (TPE)321532
Flag of Japan.svg  Mizuki Fujii / Reika Kakiiwa  (JPN)321432
Flag of India.svg  Jwala Gutta / Ashwini Ponnappa  (IND)321432
Flag of Singapore.svg  Shinta Mulia Sari / Yao Lei  (SIN)303260
Team 1ScoreTeam 2
28 July, 15:20
Flag of Japan.svg  Fujii / Kakiiwa  (JPN)21–16
21–18
Flag of India.svg  Gutta / Ponnappa  (IND)
28 July, 20:15
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Cheng W-h / Chien Y-c  (TPE)18–21
21–15
21–15
Flag of Singapore.svg  Sari / Yao L  (SIN)
29 July, 14:17
Flag of Japan.svg  Fujii / Kakiiwa  (JPN)16–21
21–10
21–19
Flag of Singapore.svg  Sari / Yao L  (SIN)
30 July, 19:05
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Cheng W-h / Chien Y-c  (TPE)23–25
21–16
18–21
Flag of India.svg  Gutta / Ponnappa  (IND)
31 July, 13:09
Flag of Japan.svg  Fujii / Kakiiwa  (JPN)19–21
11–21
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Cheng W-h / Chien Y-c  (TPE)
31 July, 18:30
Flag of Singapore.svg  Sari / Yao L  (SIN)16–21
15–21
Flag of India.svg  Gutta / Ponnappa  (IND)

Group C

TeamPldWLSWSLPts
Flag of South Korea.svg  Ha Jung-eun / Kim Min-jung  (KOR)33061DQ
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Meiliana Jauhari / Greysia Polii  (INA)32153DQ
Flag of Australia.svg  Leanne Choo / Renuga Veeran  (AUS)312341
Flag of South Africa.svg  Michelle Edwards / Annari Viljoen  (RSA)303060
Team 1ScoreTeam 2
28 July, 14:17
Flag of South Korea.svg  Ha J-e / Kim M-j  (KOR)21–8
21–7
Flag of South Africa.svg  Edwards / Viljoen  (RSA)
28 July, 19:42
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Jauhari / Polii  (INA)21–11
20–22
21–7
Flag of Australia.svg  Choo / Veeran  (AUS)
29 July, 20:52
Flag of Australia.svg  Choo / Veeran  (AUS)21–9
21–7
Flag of South Africa.svg  Edwards / Viljoen  (RSA)
30 July, 15:20
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Jauhari / Polii  (INA)21–18
21–10
Flag of South Africa.svg  Edwards / Viljoen  (RSA)
30 July, 19:09
Flag of South Korea.svg  Ha J-e / Kim M-j  (KOR)21–7
21–19
Flag of Australia.svg  Choo / Veeran  (AUS)
31 July, 20:19
Flag of South Korea.svg  Ha J-e / Kim M-j  (KOR)18–21
21–14
21–12
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Jauhari / Polii  (INA)

Group D

TeamPldWLSWSLPts
Flag of Denmark.svg  Christinna Pedersen / Kamilla Rytter Juhl  (DEN)321532
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Qing / Zhao Yunlei  (CHN)321422
Flag of Japan.svg  Miyuki Maeda / Satoko Suetsuna  (JPN)321432
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Poon Lok Yan / Tse Ying Suet  (HKG)303160
Team 1ScoreTeam 2
28 July, 09:07
Flag of Denmark.svg  Pedersen / Juhl  (DEN)21–18
14–21
17–21
Flag of Japan.svg  Maeda / Suetsuna  (JPN)
28 July, 09:44
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Q / Zhao Y  (CHN)21–11
21–12
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Poon / Tse  (HKG)
29 July, 09:44
Flag of Denmark.svg  Pedersen / Juhl  (DEN)21–13
14–21
21–18
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Poon / Tse  (HKG)
30 July, 09:44
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Q / Zhao Y  (CHN)21–16
21–17
Flag of Japan.svg  Maeda / Suetsuna  (JPN)
31 July, 09:40
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Q / Zhao Y  (CHN)20–22
12–21
Flag of Denmark.svg  Pedersen / Juhl  (DEN)
31 July, 14:15
Flag of Japan.svg  Maeda / Suetsuna  (JPN)21–15
21–19
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Poon / Tse  (HKG)

Finals

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
               
A1 Flag of Russia.svg  Valeria Sorokina  (RUS)
Flag of Russia.svg  Nina Vislova  (RUS)
2121 
C2 Flag of South Africa.svg  Michelle Edwards  (RSA)
Flag of South Africa.svg  Annari Viljoen  (RSA)
9 7  
A1 Flag of Russia.svg  Valeria Sorokina  (RUS)
Flag of Russia.svg  Nina Vislova  (RUS)
19 6  
D2 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Qing  (CHN)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Zhao Yunlei  (CHN)
2121 
B1 Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Cheng Wen-hsing  (TPE)
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Chien Yu-chin  (TPE)
10 14  
D2 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Qing  (CHN)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Zhao Yunlei  (CHN)
2121 
D2 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Qing  (CHN)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Zhao Yunlei  (CHN)
2125 
B2 Flag of Japan.svg  Mizuki Fujii  (JPN)
Flag of Japan.svg  Reika Kakiiwa  (JPN)
10 23  
A2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Alex Bruce  (CAN)
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Michelle Li  (CAN)
2118 21
C1 Flag of Australia.svg  Leanne Choo  (AUS)
Flag of Australia.svg  Renuga Veeran  (AUS)
9 2118
A2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Alex Bruce  (CAN)
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Michelle Li  (CAN)
12 2113 Bronze-medal match
B2 Flag of Japan.svg  Mizuki Fujii  (JPN)
Flag of Japan.svg  Reika Kakiiwa  (JPN)
2119 21
B2 Flag of Japan.svg  Mizuki Fujii  (JPN)
Flag of Japan.svg  Reika Kakiiwa  (JPN)
2221 A1 Flag of Russia.svg  Valeria Sorokina  (RUS)
Flag of Russia.svg  Nina Vislova  (RUS)
2121 
D1 Flag of Denmark.svg  Christinna Pedersen  (DEN)
Flag of Denmark.svg  Kamilla Rytter Juhl  (DEN)
20 10  A2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Alex Bruce  (CAN)
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Michelle Li  (CAN)
9 10  

Group stage disqualifications

A review into two matches in the badminton women's doubles competition played on 31 July was conducted after it appeared that, having already qualified for the knockout stages, players on both sides in each game had been attempting to lose their last group stage matches in order to gain a more favourable draw in the quarter finals.

The matches in question were between China's Wang Xiaoli / Yu Yang and South Korea's Jung Kyung-eun / Kim Ha-na in Group A, and South Korea's Ha Jung-eun / Kim Min-jung versus Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari / Greysia Polii in Group C. After errors began occurring during routine shots in both matches, including shots going long and serves hitting the net, the crowd reacted angrily, [4] [5] and the first game in the match between Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli of China and Jung Kyung Eun and Kim Ha Na of South Korea featured no rallies of more than four shots. [6]

A South Korean coach claims to have emulated China so as to avoid playing against another Korean team in the knockout stages before the final, and South Korean head coach Sung Han-kook said "Because they don't want to play the semi-final against each other, so we did the same. We didn't want to play the South Korean team again". [7] [8]

In the second game, the tournament referee initially issued a black card to disqualify the players, but after their team's coaches and officials ran onto the court and remonstrated with him, this was rescinded. Play was allowed to continue while he monitored proceedings, and both the earlier match and this later match were ultimately played to a conclusion, completing the draw for the quarter finals (group B and D having concluded earlier in the day).

Technical delegate Paisan Rangsikitpho said after the Group A match, "If it's true what I hear, this is a shame and I don't like it. And I'm not going to accept anything that I don't like at all. It's not in a good spirit....I apologise to the public, I apologise for everyone and I am not happy." [9]

On 1 August 2012, following a Badminton World Federation review, all eight players were found guilty of "not using best efforts" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" and were ejected from the tournament. [10] The quarter-finals then continued with the ejected teams being replaced by the other teams from their groups.

The decision was highly debated; some argued that while the teams have not been performing their best effort to win the game at hand, they had been in fact doing their best to win the tournament, and that conserving resources in early matches is a common practice in every competitive sport. [11] [12] [13] [14]

To prevent any repeat of these events, the competition format for the next Olympics was changed: all pairs finishing second in their groups would be placed into another draw to determine who they faced in the quarterfinals, while the top pair in each group would have a fixed position matched to its designated seed in the knockout phase. [15]

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