Twin Olympians lose in first round badminton match in Paris

For first time Olympians Annie and Kerry Xu of UC Berkeley, their Olympic experience in badminton is one they will likely treasure forever.

The twins lost Sunday to a pair from China but are already looking ahead to their next match against Hong Kong. You can see highlights of their match against China here.

“The feeling that we’re now Olympians is very big and amplified times 10 by the people in the stadiums cheering. I heard a lot of people say, ‘Go USA’, so I’m very proud that there are Americans out here to support us,” Kerry Xu said to TeamUSA.com. “So much has happened over the past few days, but now, it should be easier – to stay in our rooms, mentally prepare and physically rest much better.”

Their journey to the Olympics is a sort of a comeback. Both enrolled in UC Berkeley and decided to concentrate on their studies rather than their sport. Then came COVID-19.

“During the pandemic we completely stopped for three to four years,” Annie said to NBC Bay Area. “Not touched a single racket.”

The pair while competing internationally never really entertained the idea of going to the Olympics thinking they weren’t that good even as their trophy cases began to fill up. However, the joy of playing became irresistible to them as they began working in corporate accounting jobs.

“We decided it would be best to put one-hundred-and-ten-percent of our effort and time onto like chasing this Olympic dream,” Kerry said.

The twins plan to soak it all in. Even if they don’t medal, they know they have something to look forward to.

“Obviously, there is still the Closing Ceremony,” said Annie.