I have translated this article from the Korean Badminton website. I hope it makes sense because my Korean isn't that good. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Kim Dong Moon and Ra Kyung Min, who are regarded the best mixed doubles team in history, the Athens Olympics will mark their third Olympics. On their first trip (96 Atlanta), however, they participated as rivals not partners, as Kim, teamed with Gil Young Ah, upset superstar Park Joo Bong and his then rookie partner Ra for the gold medal. Although the final was played in a friendly atmosphere, after the game Ra had to suffer from a massive guilt that she did not hold up her end of the bargain in assisting Park and decided to go back to singles badminton. It was Kim Dong Moon who persuaded her to stay in doubles and team up with him. Following the retirements of Park, Gil, and other veteran players after the Olympics, the Korean Badminton saw their brightest hope in Kim and Ra as a team, which turned out to be "golden." And when they amassed 51 straight victories and 11 titles over a span of year and a half, they appeared to have reserved the Sydney Olympic gold medals, only to be denied in a shocking defeat to then unheralded Chinese duo Gao Ling and Zhang Jun in the quarterfinal. Succumbing to two nightmarish Olympic experiences and mental and physical exhaustion, Ra finally declared retirement after the 2002 Busan Asian Games. When she left the training arena that winter, it was again Kim Dong Moon who coaxed and challenged her to come back and take one more stab at the Olympics with him. After the five month lay off, Ra returned and won 10 straight titles with Kim, defeating Zhang and Gao 6 times on the way, who appear to be the only threat to their quest for the Olympic gold medals. It remains to be seen whether Kim and Ra will be able to put the painful memories behind them and achieve their ultimate dream in Athens. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I sure hope they do!
