Source:REUTERS/Ann Wang
[Saba Sports News] The much-anticipated Paris Olympics not only saw athletes winning gold and silver but also brought attention to the referees officiating the games. At the Chapelle Sports Center, where the badminton competition was held, there was a referee from China named Shi Ping, who is from Jiangsu Province. She served as a line judge in the men’s singles semifinal between Malaysian player Lee Zii Jia and Thai player Kunlavut Vitidsarn. According to available information, Shi Ping is a national-level badminton referee, an international line judge (one of only two in China), and also a physical education teacher at Sihong High School in Jiangsu Province. Due to her strong professional abilities, Shi Ping has frequently served as the chief referee in major badminton events in China. Her good command of English has also enabled her to serve as a technical official in international badminton competitions, such as the badminton event at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the 2023 Sudirman Cup World Mixed Team Badminton Championships. It is reported that this Olympic badminton event had a total of 26 referees and 60 line judges from around the world participating in the officiating. Since the Olympics is the highest-level competition in badminton, a team of 10 line judges was used from the first day of the competition. Due to the large daily workload, referees and line judges are required to adjust their schedules reasonably to maintain their best mental state for the matches.