Lee Zii Jia's Projected Path for Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics 2024

Lee Zii Jia has been drawn in Group G for the Paris Olympics.

Seventh seed Lee Zii Jia has a draw, which he won’t be too unhappy about, for the Paris Olympics 2024. The draws for four categories were unveiled on Friday, July 12, at an event in Kuala Lumpur, while the men’s doubles draws were released on Monday, July 15, in the same city.

The Malaysian will be participating in his second consecutive Summer Games. He made his debut at the Tokyo 2020 edition, where he lost in a three-game match in the Round of 16 to eventual silver medalist Chinese great Chen Long.

Lee Zii Jia finished 10th on the ‘Race to Paris’ charts, amassing 69,856 points and will be the sole Malaysian representative in men’s singles. At Paris, the group shouldn’t be a concern for Lee. But, the challenges will get tougher when the Round of 16 arrives.

The All England 2021 champion has been in good form recently. He won the Thailand Open in May. He followed it up with a runner-up finish at the Malaysia Masters. He also won the Australian Open in June, his last tournament before he participates in the ultimate sporting extravaganza.

The Malaysian would be looking to become the third male shuttler from his country to medal in singles at the Olympics, after Rashid Sidek (bronze at Atlanta 1996) and three-time silver medalist Lee Chong Wei, who is one of the most decorated names in the sport. Let us now look at his projected path to the gold medal clash.

Group Stage: Viren Nettasinghe and Pablo Abian

The former World No. 2 couldn’t have asked for a more comfortable group to begin with. His two opponents in Group G are World No. 63 Spanish Pablo Abian and World No. 70 Sri Lankan Viren Nettasinghe. Lee should be able to top this group with minimal fuss.

Round of 16: Anthony Sinisuka Ginting

Lee Zii Jia will in all likelihood be up against Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Ginting in the Round of 16. The ninth seed might have a tricky second round clash against World No. 22 Toma Junior Popov.

The Indonesian hasn’t been in great form ever since he reached the final of the All England Championships this year. While Ginting leads in the head-to-head record, the Malaysian might back himself to change it this time around.

Quarter-finals: Anders Antonsen

If the seventh seed enters his first Olympic quarter-finals, he will be almost surely up against fourth seed Anders Antonsen. Apart from being placed in a group with very low-ranked players, the Danish shuttler also has the added advantage of being able to avoid the Round of 16.

Antonsen has been in good form this year, with some commendable performances, including the European Championships victory. But unarguably and ably supported by numbers, Antonsen is the easiest opponent among the top four seeds.

Semi-finals: Shi Yu Qi/Kunlavut Vitidsarn

In case Lee Zii Jia reaches here unscathed, first seed Shi Yuqi will potentially stand between him and the gold medal match. Shi Yu Qi has been in blazing form this year, already having picked up four titles. He also did the unthinkable by dethroning Viktor Axelsen to become World No. 1.

The other contender is eighth-seeded Kunlavut Vitidsarn. The reigning world champion has been having a good run this year. The potential quarter-final clash between the Chinese and the Thai could be interesting, although the Chinese will probably have the edge.

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Final: Viktor Axelsen/Jonathan Christie/Li Shi Feng

If the Malaysian enters the final, he could potentially win his country its first gold medal. Second seed Viktor Axelsen, though, could be potentially waiting for him to defend the crown. The Danish shuttler has been near-invincible for a long time.

But, a few slip-ups and some injury concerns have hampered him recently. While he has lost his top spot as of now on the rankings, he would be rearing to win his third consecutive Olympic medal.

Third seed Jonathan Christie cannot be ruled out. But unfortunately for him, he will potentially have a lot of time on court resulting in fatigue, if and when he reaches the final. Apart from being in a group containing four shuttlers, he will have to compete with the likes of ace Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen to become the group topper.

Sixth seed Li Shi Feng is another name to watch for. The Asian Games 2022 gold medal winner, though, will have his task cut out against the biggies to reach the gold medal match.

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