China still reigns in the badminton world, pocketing three out of all the five golds at the Athens Olympic Games.

In the women's doubles final, top seeds Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen earned their first Olympic gold on Saturday, the last-day badminton competition in Athens, beating world champions Gao Ling/Huang Sui 10-15, 15-4 and 15-8.

World champion Zhang Ni made a sweet revenge against her ten-year rival Mia Audina of the Netherlands by winning a close match 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, and clinched the gold medal of women's singles.

Defending champions Zhang Jun/Gao Ling, repeating a breathtaking performance in the mixed doubles final, beat Briton Nathan Robertson/Gail Emms 15-1, 12-15 and 15-12.

"It is really hard to clinch three golds this time," claimed Li Yongbo, head coach of the Chinese national badminton team, expressing his satisfaction with the performance of the Chinese shuttlers.

However, top seed Super Dan and other Chinese men's singles whowere excluded out of the semi-finals, failed to match their high world rankings and the anticipation of their countrymen.

Their men's doubles teammates were also kicked out of top four, which disappointed both their coaches and the spectators.

The head coach pointed out that the Chinese men shuttlers boast of their abilities to enter semi-finals, even to win golds.

"But they let the winning chances slip away, and I shall say sorry to the Chinese badminton fans as their achievements are not good enough," Li stressed.

In the men's singles final, Indonesian genius Taufik Hidayat at last reached the peak of his career at the age of 23 by winning the gold medal.

He trounced Shon Seung Mo of South Korea 15-8, 15-7 in the final, receiving "the best-ever birthday present" in his life.

The unexpected success of Taufik and two bronze medals clinched by Soni Dwi Kuncoro in the men's singles and Eng Hian/Flandy Limpele in the men's doubles gave Indonesia a big surprise, which didn't live broadcast Olympic badminton matches, shelving low anticipation on their shuttlers.

The gold medal of the men's doubles went to South Korean veterans Kim Dong Moon/Ha Tae Kwan, who beat their compatriots LeeDong Soo/Yoo Yong Sung 15-11, 15-4 in the final.

The 28th Olympiad represented a total failure for badminton power Malaysia, which didn't harvest a single medal in five disciplines.

The other traditional power Denmark also didn't live up to its target of two medals either, winning only a bronze in the mixed doubles.

During the last Olympics in Sydney, Australia, the Chinese shuttlers harvested four gold medals out of five, excluding the men's doubles gold, which was acquired by Indonesian Candra Wijiya/Tony Gunawan.

"We are still the best by winning three gold medals" in Athens, Chinese coach Li stressed.

(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2004)