Han Yue of China hits a return during the badminton women's singles final against Kim Ga-ram of South Korea at the Chengdu Universiade, August 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Meiduoji)
Han Yue took the badminton women's singles gold after straight-set victory.
CHENGDU, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's top-seeded shuttler Han Yue thrashed Kim Ga-ram of South Korea in straight sets to notch the women's singles gold at the FISU World University Games here on Monday.
Han, who ranked 9th in the world, blitzed her opponent with fierce attacks, ending the first set 21-9. She then maintained the momentum all the way throughout the second set and won in 21-13.
"It was the last match, so I put all my strength into it. I have prepared for possible difficulties today, including the possibility of losing the match or losing a set," Han said.
"It is a great honor for me to participate in the FISU World University Games when I was in college. I regard it as a valuable experience," said the 24-year-old, who is from Tongji University of China.
Han Yue poses for photo during the awarding ceremony. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Han said that she will now prepare herself for this year's World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.
"This is the biggest tournament I've ever played. I achieved the results better than I expected. Even though I lost the game, I think I harvested more than lost," Kim said after the finals, adding that she will take part in the Asian Games next month.
The South Korean dark horse, who ranked 152nd in the world, reached the finals with stunning performances by upsetting the world No. 18 Zhang Yiman and No. 28 Sung Shuo Yun, both in straight sets. ■