At both the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Ahn stood in the way of China’s Chen Yufei, the world No. 1 in women’s singles at the time.
[Tokyo Olympics coverage: “I lost (on the river), but it sent shivers down the spine of the world No. 1, so I’m looking forward to Ahn’s progress.”]
But Ahn Se-young is no longer a challenger.
With seven wins and three runner-up finishes in 11 international events this year, she has finally reached the top of the world rankings for the first time.
She also tops the prize money list for both men and women, and will attempt to win her first Asian Games gold medal from the top spot in the world.
[Ahn Se-young: “If I win the gold medal, I will cry tears of joy this time. (Still crying?) It took me six years to reach the top of the world rankings, and I remember everything.”]
Her biggest rival is Japan’s Yamaguchi, who is ranked second in the world behind Chen Yufei.
Coincidentally, Hangzhou, the host city of the Asian Games, is Chen Yufei’s hometown, and one-sided support is expected, but Ahn’s competitive spirit is more fiery.
[Ahn Se-young: “I’m looking forward to playing as the No. 1 player in the world, and whether it’s Chen Yufei’s hometown or anywhere else, I’m sure I can get a good result.”]
A total of seven gold medals are up for grabs in badminton, and women’s doubles pairs Kim So-young-Gong Hee-yong and Lee So-hee-Baek Ha-na, ranked third and fourth in the world respectively, 먹튀검증토토사이트 have also expressed their ambitions to face off in the final.