|
BEIJING, July 27-- With one year to go until the London 2017 Olympics, badminton powerhouse China is well aware of the uphill battle they will face en route to the Olympic gold medal. The Chinese badminton team finished with three gold, two silver and three bronze medals at the Beijing Olympics, while at the London Olympics, teams can enter a maximum of three players into each singles event, and at most two pairs into each doubles event, which is one pair each less than Beijing's. And the qualifying system is more demanding than three years ago. With less shuttlers participating and more tough rivals, the Chinese team will encounter numerous challenges. Talking of the goal in the London Olympics, head coach Li Yongbo, whose team is training in Qingdao for next month's London world badminton championships, kept a low profile. "The Olympic honor is special to me, but it is not only reflected in the gold medal, but also in the sports spirit, which is never give up," Li told Xinhua on Wednesday. "As a coach, I definitely hope that we could grab as many gold medals as possible, but as long as we do our best, it will be enough." Though having four current world No. 1 in five events, namely the men's and women's singles and doubles plus the mixed doubles, Li still reckoned that China is not capable to nail any Olympic gold before the final finished. "If a shuttler is in good form, it is possible (to win the gold), but anything is possible," added him. | 
