After 22 years, a scandal was revealed at the 2000 Olympic Games, which were held in Sydney (Australia). In an interview with Danish TV TV2 SportYe Zhaoying revealed that he received money to lose the Olympic Badminton Championship semi-finals.
The great strength of the method, China dominated the competition with three athletes in the semi-finals. Now, after the CFA realized that Dai Yun would lose to Denmark’s Camilla Martin (as it happened, 11-5 and 11-0), the CFA decided in the other match between Gong Zhichao and Ye Zhaoying to choose the athlete who had the best chance of beating the Dane in the Final.
So, hours before the match, Ye Zhaoying revealed that he had received €21,500 (which was promised to the gold medal winner) to allow Gong Zhichoa to win. “I was told it was important not to show that I was losing on purpose and that I couldn’t tire it out too much. I didn’t want to risk it, because if I won the semi-finals and didn’t get the gold, I would have been considered a traitor to the country.
What is certain is that the strategy worked. Gong Zhichao beat Yi Chaoying by a pair 11-8 in the semi-finals and in the final sent Camila Martin with two sides (13-10, 11-3). As for Zhaoying, he was satisfied with the bronze medal.
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