USA Women’s Doubles pair Allison Lee and Francesca Corbett took home silver medals after making it to the finals of the 2023 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Junior Championships.
“It is a huge honor to be able to represent the U.S. in a sport where it is dominated by Asian and European countries,” Lee tells NextShark. “I feel very proud of the hard work we have put in for over half of our lives. We could not have done it without the tremendous amount of support around us.”
Despite facing a setback due to food poisoning just a week before the tournament, Lee overcame it during the team event to regain her rhythm. In preparation for the tournament, the 18-year-old badminton players noted learning from their losses on the world tour, where they gained on-court and off-court experiences while competing with other top players.
“After playing the world tour for several months, we had a lot of tough losses,” Corbett shares. “However, it was important for us to learn from our prior play and focus on the goal at hand. Personally, I did a lot of weight and physical training and did two on court sessions per day as well.”
Although the pair won their first set at the finals against China’s Maya Taguchi and Aya Tamaki, they lost the final two sets. However, Lee and Corbett are grateful for the unforgettable experiences they had at the tournament, especially when they exceeded expectations during the semifinal match and reached the finals after overcoming a challenging start.
“Seeing my family, friends and supporters after every match and being able to celebrate each win with them — sometimes with tears — that winning feeling is also something you…
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