On Sunday, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin of Taiwan won gold (21-17, 18-21, 21-19) in the badminton men's doubles against China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, making this win the first gold medal for Taiwan at the Paris Olympics. China went home with silver and Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik took bronze.

Taiwan’s Lee and Wang have been friends since childhood and the duo also won gold in the badminton men's doubles at the Tokyo Olympics. According to TaiwanPlus News, they are the first badminton men’s duo in Olympic history to win back-to-back gold.

The Taiwanese champions said they had many doubts coming into the Olympics. “In the past three years we didn’t play that well,” Lee said. “Before we came to Paris we heard some people saying they didn’t want us to represent Taiwan. I’m happy that in such a tough competition we managed to win the gold.”

After the match, Lee also announced his retirement and said this was his final match. “This is my last time, which is why I kissed the court to bid a proper farewell,” Lee said. “I will go to school to become an instructor and hopefully I can help develop the game of badminton.”

Since the 1984 Winter Olympics, due to pressure from China, Taiwan has only been allowed to participate at the Olympics under the name “Chinese Taipei” and their country’s national flag and national anthem are prohibited. 

The Paris Olympics have proved to be tense for Taiwanese spectators as outward support for their country and athletes have been met with hostility. Documentation of this hostility has been widespread on social media.

“One Taiwanese guy was asked by a security guard to either cover up the word ‘Taiwan’ on his shirt or take off his shirt, so in the end, he used tape to cover up the six letters,” Sandy Hsueh, president of the Taiwanese Association in France, told VOA.