Rio de Janeiro: Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl reached the Olympic badminton women’s doubles final on Tuesday after they put an end to China’s 20-year stranglehold on the Olympic women’s doubles title by beating China’s second-ranked pair Yu Yang and Tang Yuanting 21-16, 14-21, 21-19.
Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl displayed an inspired performance at the Riocentro in 75 minutes to ensure at least a silver medal for Denmark in women’s doubles since badminton had its debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
“The feeling and everything inside us is just so happy and proud — really, really proud that we have now secured a medal for Denmark,” said 30-year-old Pedersen.
“It’s difficult to say it loud because it’s still a dream.”
In other women’s doubles semi-final, Japan’s No. 1 seeds Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi played brilliantly especially at the net to beat South Korea’s No.4 seeds Jung Kyung-Eun and Shin Seung-Chan 21-16, 21-15.
