Twenty-eight years after Gil Young-ah completed her full set of Olympic medals, her son Kim Won Ho will take to court, assured of adding another medal to the family collection. The only question is: which colour will it be?

Gil is one of only three badminton players to achieve a full set of medals. At Barcelona 1992 she won bronze in women’s doubles; Atlanta 1996 saw her win gold in mixed doubles and silver in women’s doubles.

Her son Kim, playing mixed doubles with Jeong Na Eun, is in his first Olympics, and chose the right occasion to make the biggest final of his career. In the semifinals, facing compatriots and world champions Seo Seung Jae/Chae Yu Jung, the unseeded pair prevailed in a thriller: 21-16 20-22 23-21.

Having grown up aware of his mother’s on-court exploits, Kim was aware of the magnitude of what he had just achieved.

“Since I was young, I have dreamed of the Olympic Games after seeing her gold medal, and I had been imagining what it would be like if it happened, but I really didn’t expect that the dream would come true. Anyway, as it has happened, I really need to accept it, and I will take on my last challenge without any regret.”

Did he seek any advice from her during the Olympics?

“Firstly, she told me that the Olympic Games would be a gift from heaven. She told me: ‘You did your best, so all you need to do is just accept that’.

“When I call her, I will tell her: ‘From now on, I won’t be known as the son of Gil Young-ah anymore; instead, you will be known as Kim Won Ho’s mother.’”

On the opposite side of the net in the final will be another pair seeking to add to their own legend – Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong, three-time world champions and Olympic silver medallists, who are now one win away from the only major title to elude them.

They sounded an ominous warning to their opponents for the final.

“We have really strong motivation and a lot of preparation,” said Zheng, after the Chinese had overwhelmed Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino 21-14 21-15. “We’re so satisfied with today’s performance. From beginning to end, we didn’t lose any focus.

“This time to play the final is our start point. We are aiming for the gold. Because last time we failed, this time we are ready for that. Tomorrow for us is the start.”

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