KUALA LUMPUR: They don't call China a badminton powerhouse for nothing.
Given how their players have been performing this season, one cannot help but highlight them as the overwhelming favourites for Olympic glory in Paris this July.
With an array of world-class stars at their disposal, China players not only reached every Super 750 and Super 1000 final this season but managed to sweep up 11 titles in the process.
Let's not forget China also achieved a double by clinching the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup in Chengdu, China, last month.
It shows that the Chinese shuttlers are peaking at the right time and looking set to continue this trend at the Indonesia Open this week.
All their Olympics-bound top players, led by world No. 2 men's singles player Shi Yu Qi, are in Jakarta this week to fine-tune their game one last time before the Paris Games.
"The thing about China is they know how to plan their tournaments and when to peak," said badminton critic Datuk James Selvaraj.
"You see these players and how they pick and choose their tournaments. They did not play in the Thailand Open or Malaysia Masters, yet joined the Singapore Open and did so well.
"Not everyone can afford this luxury. Some are desperate for ranking points and good seedings at the Olympics.
Yu Qi is particularly the man to watch after claiming the Singapore Open for his third Super 750 title of the season, adding to his previous triumphs at the India Open and French Open.
A buoyed Yu Qi will be motivated by several factors this week. Not only is he aiming to win his first Super 1000 title this year, but there is also a strong possibility he might overtake Viktor Axelsen and become the world No. 1 for the first time in his career.
A massive responsibility rests on Yu Qi's shoulders as China have high hopes for him to restore the nation's dominance in men's singles at the Olympics, where he seeks to emulate the likes of Lin Dan, Chen Long, and Ji Xin Peng.
In Tokyo three years ago, Axelsen broke China's stranglehold since Beijing 2008 by denying Rio 2016 winner Chen Long a successful title defence.
As the only nation to secure full quotas in all five events, China will be looking at translating their numbers into a highly successful campaign in Paris.
They certainly appear capable of repeating the clean sweep of all five gold medals, a feat accomplished only once before in London 2012.
Women's pair Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan and mixed pair Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong are in good form following their Singapore Open victories.
In the men's doubles, world No. 2 Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang remain powerful contenders despite their inconsistency.
They have performed well in major events, winning the Malaysia Open and Asia Championships, both Super 1000 events.
Perhaps the only concern is reigning Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei in the women's singles, who has not won a title yet this year and is overshadowed by South Korea's An Se Young.
However, Yu Fei has plenty of experience, and this week's Indonesia Open will allow her to make a statement before the Paris showdown.