Paris Olympics: Doo Hoi-kem wants medal, but reveals mistake Hong Kong must not repeat
- Mixed doubles quest alongside Wong Chun-ting relies on avoiding trap they fell into at last Games in Tokyo, when they ‘paid a heavy price’
Olympics medal hopeful Doo Hoi-kem is to adopt a different approach in Paris after excessive pressure took a toll on her in Tokyo three years ago.
The Hongkonger revealed that when the first ball is hit on Saturday she hopes to be better equipped, having crumbled in Japan alongside mixed doubles partner Wong Chun-ting when there was a “really strong” desire to go for a medal.
“I am reminding myself to empty my expectations,” said Doo, who still won team bronze in 2021. “It’s still an everyday dream for me to win an Olympic medal with Wong after 10 years of partnership.
“But [expectations] gave me nothing but pressure, so I might as well put myself at the lowest position and instil the mentality that every point I win is a bonus.”
Zhang Rui, the women’s team coach, recalled Doo gave herself so much pressure in Japan that she was unhappy from her first days at the Olympic Village to the day the city’s top mixed doubles pair suffered a premature exit in the quarter-finals, losing 4-3 to French pair Emmanuel Lebesson and Jia Nanyuan.
“I just want Doo to enjoy the Games and play to her standard – we’ll just prepare everything we can think of and play the match,” she said.
