OLYMPIC HISTORY

Badminton was a demonstration sport at the Games of 1972 and 1988 before it achieved full Olympic status at Barcelona in 1992, when romance was in the air; the first winners of Olympic badminton titles and Olympic gold medals in any sport for Indonesia, Susi Susanti and Allan Budi Kusuma, were engaged to be married. Their successes capped an overwhelming triumph for Asian nations, one that was reflected in the fact that Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen, of Denmark, was the only non-Asian to win a medal, an individual bronze. Susanti won her title over Bang Soo-hyun, of South Korea, two hours before Kusuma beat Ardy Wiranata, his Indonesia team-mate. The couple returned home to a victory parade through the streets of Jakarta in a car carrying a giant shuttlecock; crowds chanted their names, dignataries awaited them at a celebration reception and they each received US$500,000 for their successes. They were still engaged four years later, when Susanti attempted, but failed, to retain her title. The couple then felt ready to finally to tie the knot.

In 1996, China, which had failed to reach any of the four finals in Barcelona, stood at the top of the medals table as Asian athletes won 14 of the 15 medals. The only medal to go beyond Asia provided the shock of the Atlanta tournament, as Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, of Denmark, won the men's singles. Denmark and Britain could challenge Asian supremacy in Sydney.

In the singles, Hoyer-Larsen, now ranked No 3 in the world, will defend his title, and may find Peter Gade Christensen, the world No 1, his toughest opponent. Indonesia, China and Malaysia account for 11 of the other top 16 players in the world.

In the men's doubles, Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan, of Indonesia, stand at the top of the world ranking list ahead of Kim Dong Moon and Ha Tae Kwon, the world champions from South Korea. Kim Dong Moon was one of the winning pair in the mixed doubles in 1996 and will attempt to defend that title in Sydney with Ra Kyung Min, who in 1996 was on the opposing Korea team in the final and therefore won the silver medal last time around. The men's doubles winners of 1996, Rexy Mainaky and Ricky Ahmad Subagja, of Indonesia and ranked NO 7 in the world, will defend their title.

In mixed doubles, Simon Archer and Joanne Goode, of Britain, are strong medal hopes after finishing runners-up at the world championships in 1999. Among women, Camilla Martin, of Denmark, is a leading contender for the singles title alongside Dai Yun and Ye Zhaoying, of China.