TORONTO – Team Canada will add another gold medal to the count Thursday thanks to an all-Canadian women’s badminton final.
Doubles teammates Michelle Li and Rachel Honderich are set to square off against each other with one of them guaranteed to capture gold for Canada.
Li, 23, said playing against her teammate should be “interesting.”
“I’m definitely looking forward to it; it’s going to be something special and something that I will remember for the rest of my life,” she said.
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The Hong Kong native, who is ranked 15th in the world, faced off against her teammate at the Pan American Championships last year. Li won in straight sets.
Before the match was determined, Honderich said she was banking on seeing Li in the finals.
“I think it would be great if Canada finished one-two,” the 19-year-old said. “She’s my really good friend and my training partner so playing her in the final would be awesome.”
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As for Li, she’ll have to tough it out in Thursday’s match. Seeded number one at the Pan Am Games, Li has been battling a strained Achilles tendon, which she has kept protected throughout the Games.
“I can still play, it’s not too bad,” Li explained. ”I did injure it a couple of weeks ago at the Canadian Open but it’s wrapped up so it’s protected. But I guess I’m not at my best.”
The women’s singles final is set for 2 p.m. at the Atos Markham Centre, north of Toronto.
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