Paris Olympics: Hong Kong pair’s medal push gets boost after Danish rivals withdraw
- Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje pull out of badminton mixed doubles group that also includes Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet
Hong Kong’s Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Olympic glory, with badminton mixed-doubles rivals Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje withdrawing from the competition in Paris.
The Danish couple pulled out with Christiansen facing a possible suspension after breaching the World Anti-Doping Agency’s strict whereabouts rule.
Athletes must report their daily movements for the three months leading up to the start of the Olympics and three warnings in 12 months could lead to a case at Anti Doping Denmark as a violation, potentially resulting in the individual being suspended.
“I’m devastated that my carelessness and sloppiness caused us to miss what should have been one of the highlights of our careers,” the 30-year-old from Bornholm said.
“I’m most devastated that it also means Alexandra [Boje] won’t be going to the Olympics. We have both trained intensively and have been looking forward to competing in Paris.”
Christiansen said he chose to withdraw to avoid “unnecessary noise” which could disturb the other players on the national team and the other Olympic athletes.
