Every edition of the Olympics provides an opportunity for lesser-known players to test their mettle against the established stars. While past editions have seen the odd ‘minnow’ impress against the big fish, Paris 2024 saw several of them step up to the challenge and prove they are not far behind. Here are some of those who stole the spotlight, even if for brief periods:
The 19-year-old Brazilian, in women’s singles Group D with 11th seed Supanida Katethong and Happy Lo, gave an excellent account of her abilities as she stretched Katethong in a close two-game loss, 21-16 21-19, before beating Happy Lo – the first win for a Brazilian women’s singles player.
The 28-year-old Mexican was involved in perhaps the most fraught match of the early rounds when he played Lee Cheuk Yiu. Having stood up to Chou Tien Chen in his first match (21-17 21-13), Garrido took the battle to Lee Cheuk Yiu, winning the second game and in sight of an upset, before his higher-ranked opponent edged him at the end, 21-5 15-21 21-17.
