The curtain fell on the 2025 BWF World Tour Finals, but the most talked-about moment wasn’t a smash or a save. It happened after the matches, during the retirement ceremony for China’s legendary mixed doubles pair, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, famously known as the ‘IELTS’ combination.
As they stood there, reflecting on a career packed with world championships and that iconic Olympic gold, you’d think they’d be reminiscing about their highest highs. Yet, when asked about their most unforgettable memory, their answer surprised everyone.
"It was the moment we hung the silver medals around each other’s necks," Huang Yaqiong shared, her voice a mix of warmth and lingering resolve. Zheng Siwei nodded beside her. "We were at peace with the result then," he added, "but honestly? There was also this undercurrent of ‘what if.’ That silver medal ceremony, where we awarded each other… it stuck with us."
❗️ The Ghost of Silver Past
That moment wasn’t from a minor tournament. It was a pivotal loss on a big stage years prior, a second-place finish that, despite their public grace, left a quiet imprint of unfinished business. For three years, that image—of placing silver on their partner’s neck—simmered in the background of their relentless training sessions.
Fast forward to their final act as competitors at the 2025 Finals. The stage was set for a different ending. And this time, when the ceremony came, the script was rewritten.
"To recreate that same scene three years later, but this time with gold medals…" Zheng Siwei paused, searching for words. "It felt like closing a loop. That tiny bit of regret from back then was finally, completely filled." Huang Yaqiong simply smiled, the weight of the gold medal around her neck seeming to signify more than just a victory—it was resolution.
💡 More Than Just Medals
This story cuts deeper than a typical sports comeback. It’s about partnership. Their unique bond, where they were each other’s awarder in both defeat and victory, highlights a level of mutual dependence and respect rare even in doubles sports. A 2024 study on elite athletic partnerships in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found that pairs who frame setbacks as shared, motivating experiences are 40% more likely to achieve a significant subsequent victory together. The ‘IELTS’ duo lived that data.
Their retirement marks the end of an era for badminton. But as the video from CCTV Sports shows, the farewell was less about an ending and more about a perfect, full-circle conclusion. They didn’t just win gold; they specifically laid to rest the ghost of a particular silver, together.
The court will miss their synchronicity, but the legacy of ‘IELTS’—how they turned a moment of shared ‘what if’ into a final, golden ‘what is’—is a masterclass in perseverance and partnership. Retirement isn’t a full stop for them; it’s just the start of a new chapter, written on their own terms.
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