TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A video surfaced on Monday (Aug. 5) of thousands of fans erupting into cheers in Taipei Main Station as Taiwan's badminton duo on Sunday (Aug. 4) captured the country's first Olympic gold in the Paris Olympics.
In the men's badminton doubles finals, Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) faced off with the World No. 1 pair from China, Liang Weikeng (梁偉鏗) and Wang Chang (王昶). Chunghwa Telecom organized a viewing event in the ticket hall featuring a large LED screen to allow fans to watch the match.
The 75-minute battle was broadcast live on the screen and participants were handed thundersticks to cheer on Team Taiwan. By 11 p.m., the organizer said nearly 3,000 people had gathered, per FTV News.
Fans were kept on the edge of their seats as a see-saw battle ensued with the opponents splitting the first two games. The third game ended dramatically as Wang forced the gold medal match point with an overhead smash and sealed the win with a deftly placed forehand return.
Instagram user Yang Tsung-han (楊宗翰) (@mona19301027) captured the moment Wang scored the winning point and the crowd roared in approval. The video soon went viral and was posted on social media sites such as Reddit, gaining over 1,100 upvotes.
