PARIS, France — Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong led China to the gold medal in the badminton mixed doubles final at the Paris Olympics with a win over South Korea on Friday.
The Chinese pair beat South Korea in a dominant 2-0 match with lopsided 21-8 and 21-11 sets. It's the second-straight Olympic gold medal for China in the event and the fifth gold overall the country has scored in the competition.
China has earned at least a bronze in the event every year it has been played in the Olympics. In total, China has 10 medals in the eight Olympics the mixed doubles event has been offered.
China's badminton stranglehold extends to the other events as well. Thursday's contest gave China its 50th badminton gold, more than double the next competitors -- Indonesia and South Korea have 21 each.
In women's badminton events, China holds 11 of the gold medals that have ever been given out while every other country combined has six.
China is guaranteed gold and silver in the women's doubles event at the Paris Olympics as it had two teams qualify for the tournament final scheduled for Saturday.
In the women's singles category, two Chinese athletes will face off in the quarterfinals as the nation seeks another badminton medal.
China's streak of reaching the podium in four straight Olympics in the badminton men's singles event ended in Paris when a player from Thailand beat a Chinese player in the quarterfinals.
The United States has never won a medal in badminton. Beiwen Zhang reached the round of 16 in the women's singles event in Paris, equaling her performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She lost to Spain's Carolina Marin on Thursday. Zhang's performances are the best for any Team USA badminton player at the Olympics.
