PARIS: Lee Yang-Wang Chi Lin won Taiwan's first gold of the Paris Olympics on Sunday when they beat their top-seeded Chinese opponents to retain their men's doubles title.
The Taiwanese pair, who are unseeded, beat Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang 21-17, 18-21, 21-19 in an epic encounter at La Chapelle Arena.
Lee Yang-Chi Lin became the first men's doubles pair to retain the Olympic title.
They also prevented China from winning their third badminton gold of the Paris Games, after the country's success in mixed and women's doubles this week.
Lee Yang-Chi Lin outplayed the Chinese top seeds in the first game and closed it out with the minimum of fuss.
They continued to look sharp in the second game but Weikeng-Wang Chang dug in and tied up the match at one game apiece.
The tension ratcheted up in a tight third game as the Taiwanese team edged ahead late on.
They fluffed their first match point but made no mistake with the second, before crumpling to the ground and screaming with joy.
Malaysia's Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik took bronze, just like they did in Tokyo three years ago.
The badminton competition concludes Monday with the women's and men's singles finals.
South Korea's top seed An Se Young takes on China's He Bingjiao in the women's final while Denmark's defending champion Viktor Axelsen plays Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the men's singles. - AFP