Badminton
Asian nations have dominated at the Games since competition began in 1992, but the Danes give them a run for their money. Singles
Men
With Atlanta champ Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark now the world No. 6, the gold looks set to be fought out between his compatriot Peter Gade Christensen and world No. 1 Taufik Hidayat, Indonesia's sensational 19-year-old.
Women
At No. 2, world champion Camilla Martin of Denmark is the only non-Chinese in the world top 5. Her biggest threat will be the whiplash racket of No. 1 Gong Zhichao.
Doubles
Men
Indonesia's "Rexy and Ricky" (their surnames are Mainaky and Subagja) won gold at
Atlanta but have lost ground in world rankings to Korean world champs Ha Tae Kwon and Kim Dong Moon, and Great Britain's Nathan Robertson and Simon Archer, who has the fastest smash at 260 km/h.
Women
With the No. 1 ranking, Atlanta gold and the 1999 world championship, China's Ge Fei and Gu Jun appear to have the contest sewn up.
Mixed
Koreans Kim Dong-moon (who won at Atlanta with Gil Young-ah) and Ra Kyung are reigning world champs and odds-on favorites.
WHEN TO WATCH
Men
- Singles Sept. 23
- Doubles Sept. 21
Women
- Singles Sept. 22
- Doubles Sept. 23
Mixed Doubles Sept. 21