Former Chinese badminton champion Ye Zhaoying has revealed that she was forced to deliberately lose at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in order to increase one of her compatriots’ gold medal chances.
22 years later, the former world number one and bronze medalist told a TV interview in Australia on Saturday that she was being pressured by her entourage to lose her semifinal against Gong Zhichao, and not to tire her out too hard with with a view to the later final against the Danish champion Camilla Martin.
However, the former top player did not confess who forced her to lose on purpose.
‘I couldn’t compete with the system. It’s really sad,” she revealed. Zhichao eventually stole the gold.
The international badminton association has already indicated that it “takes the allegations very seriously”.
The final interview was conducted in Malaga, Spain, where Ye Zhaoying lives in exile with her husband, former Chinese footballer Hao Haidong.
The couple has given up hope of ever returning to China after the former footballer strongly criticized local authorities in June 2020.
