With just days left for the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, what does their recent form indicate for the strongest contenders? Here’s a glimpse at the fortunes of five standout women’s doubles pairs since January:

Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan (China)

Born: 1997/1997. Right/Left

The four-time world champions have been selective in the tournaments they’ve played in, competing in just six events and winning two. Their French Open final win over Shida/Matsuyama showed why they are so hard to beat, and they will look to go one better than their silver medal performance at Tokyo 2020.

Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee (Korea)

Born: 2000/1994. Right/Right

One of the few pairs capable of beating Chen/Jia, as they showed in the Indonesia Open final. That capped a fantastic tune-up period ahead of Paris, as the Koreans had earlier captured the All England and the Badminton Asia Championships.

Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning (China)

Born: 2004/2003. Right/Right

No women’s doubles pair in recent years has enjoyed the meteoric rise that Liu/Tan have. With their senior career just into its third year, the young Chinese already belong at the highest level, having beaten other top pairs and picking up two titles this season, including the Super 1000 in Malaysia.

Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida (Japan)

Born: 1997/1998. Right/Right

The Japanese might not have won a title this season, but they were in three finals. At the French Open they showed why they should be considered among the favourites, as they were involved in a pitched battle against Chen/Jia in what was probably the match of the season. They fell after holding five match points.

Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (Japan)

Born: 1995/1996. Right/Right

The two-time world champions have played just seven tournaments this season, with their best being the India Open title in January. They have been in reasonably good form all through, making the semifinals of the French Open and the Indonesia Open, but they were unable to breach the Chinese wall of Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan in all three meetings this year. However, they will take confidence from their showing in Indonesia, where they fell to Chen/Jia in three close games.

Also Read: Form Guide: Mixed Doubles Frontrunners