Ye Zhaoying, a former Badminton World Champion from China, has disclosed that she was ordained to drop the 2000 Sydney Olympics semifinal to fellow citizen Gong Zhichao.
It’s just you against the whole system: Ye Zhaoying
In a staggering evolution, former badminton women’s singles World Champion from China Ye Zhaoying has opened up that she was ordered to lose the 2000 Sydney Olympics semifinal against final champion Gong Zhichao.
“They told me it was important that no one could see that I was losing deliberately,” said Zhaoying, as per TV 2 Sport.
Pursuant to the 48-year-old, this was an intentional stratagem by the Chinese management against Camilla Martin who is a silver medallist in women’s singles in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Additionally, Zhaoying said: “You feel so powerless, because it’s just you against the whole system. The Olympic Games are almost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an athlete, and it feels so desperately tragic when you have to throw it all away. But I’m just one person, and there was nothing I could do against the system.” [H/T The Bridge]
The move of compulsion Zhaoying to lose the semifinal against Gong Zhichao come to terms effectively for the Chinese as the hindmost proceed on to be crowned the Olympic champion by beating Camilla Martin.
Furthermore, Zhaoying was forced into a bronze medal tussle against fellow Chinese star Dai Yun a tournament she won to win her only Olympic medal.
In 1995, Ye Zhaoying was initially crowned as the World Champion prior to defending her crown in 1997 two years later. She is also having a bronze medal in World Championships against her name in 1993.
The 44-year-old Gong Zhichao is a former badminton player from the People’s Republic of China. She was a 2-time consecutive All England champion in 2000.
