Japanese Shuttler Called “Most Beautiful Badminton Player”, Wins Bronze And Hearts At Paris Olympics

Another Olympian has become the talk of the town, thanks to her stunning good looks.

The women’s doubles badminton event at the Paris Olympics came to a close with China’s Chen Qiangchen and Jia Yifan beating their compatriots Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning to clinch gold.

Japan’s duo, Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama, brought home the bronze.

The top two podium finishes might have eluded them, but 27-year-old Chiharu won the hearts of many with her beauty, earning her the title: “Most Beautiful Badminton Player”.

Chiharu and Nami were interviewed by the media following their earlier loss to Shengshu and Tan Ning. Chiharu was seen tearing up as she expressed her dissatisfaction with her performance.

It pained many of Chiharu’s new-found fans to see her cry on air, with a number leaving comforting comments cheering her on.

“She’s so pretty even when she’s crying,” was the sentiment shared by many netizens.

The duo would go on to win against Malaysian duo Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan in the race for bronze.

Funnily enough, Malaysians found themselves rather conflicted during the match. While they rooted for their countrymen, many admitted that they wished to “support both teams”, all because they were captivated by Chiharu’s beauty.

“My heart belongs to Malaysia, but my body belongs to Chiharu,” joked one netizen.

It didn’t go unnoticed by many that the cameraman seemed to be focused on Chiharu too. She had many close-ups during the match, with the camera perfectly capturing a variety of her expressions during the game.

It’s no wonder she has gone viral online.

A quick scroll through Chiharu’s Instagram comments also sees many netizens calling her their “wife”, with others declaring their undying support for her.

The Hachirogata native has been playing badminton since she was 13, and began officially training in the sport at Aomoriyamada Junior High School.

Chiharu emerged top at many national youth badminton competitions and was the bronze medalist at the Asian and World Junior Championships in 2014 and 2015.

She won her first international title at the 2016 Vietnam International Challenge, and would go on to pair up with Nami in numerous women’s doubles badminton tournaments organised by the Badminton World Federation.

The duo were successful in many tournaments, and Paris marks their Olympic debut.

With the skills to back up her beauty, it’s no wonder Chiharu has captured the hearts of many all over the world.

Photos: _chiharushida_/ Instagram, xuan.my

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