[Anchor]

In the women's doubles badminton final, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na claimed a comeback victory over world number one China. Following an exhausting battle that left all players collapsing on the court after the match, they secured the women's doubles gold medal for the first time in 24 years.

Reporter Pyeon Gwanghyeon has the story.

[Reporter]

A classic showdown worthy of a final between the world's top two ranked pairs unfolded.


Facing the world number one Chinese pair of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, the duo of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na dropped the first game after a grueling seven deuces, but they did not waver.

Displaying solid teamwork built over nearly four years, they claimed the second game to level the match.

The decisive final game.

Trailing 11-10, they faced a major crisis when Lee So-hee collapsed while defending, appearing to suffer from leg cramps. However, Lee So-hee got back up, and Baek Ha-na ran that extra mile to keep the contest tight until the very end.

Then, trouble struck their opponents.

As South Korea leveled the score at 18-18, China's Liu Shengshu collapsed, clutching her leg.

With both teams physically depleted, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na dug deep with their final concentration to score three consecutive points and seal the victory.

After an exhausting battle lasting over one hour and 50 minutes, all four players collapsed right onto the court.

Washing away the disappointment of winning the silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na captured South Korea's first women's doubles gold medal in 24 years. After comforting Liu Shengshu, who received treatment for a long time, they celebrated their joy with their signature piggyback ceremony.

[Baek Ha-na / National Badminton Team : We had an opportunity back in Hangzhou as well, and now that it's been delayed by another three to four years, it feels like we've broken our previous record. I think it's such an honor, and I'm just happy.]

[Lee So-hee / National Badminton Team : Among the four of us, I think my hamstring started cramping up first. Honestly, I just thought to myself, literally, let's just endure this.]

Following their victory over the same opponents at the World Championships last month, the Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na duo clinched another major title, firmly establishing themselves as the new powerhouses.

[Lee So-hee / National Badminton Team : (Is the gold medal heavy?) It is very heavy.]

[Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee / National Badminton Team : Fighting!]

(Photo courtesy of Yonhap News / Video by Yang Doo-won, Video Editing by Park Jung-sam, Design by Park Taeyoung)