Lose Lose

Jul 19, 2024

Discover a twisted tale of badminton where top players had to intentionally lose for strategic gains, challenging the essence of competition. Dive into the history of Olympic medals and the chaotic origins of modern games. Explore the intense world of professional badminton and the ethical dilemmas faced by athletes under pressure. Humor meets depth as the hosts playfully dissect what it would mean if sports were all about losing. Expect rich narratives and thought-provoking insights that flip the script on traditional sports values.

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ANECDOTE

Badminton Match Fixing Scandal

In the 2012 Olympics, both the Chinese and Korean women's badminton teams intentionally tried to lose a match.
This bizarre event stemmed from a tournament rule quirk where losing offered a more favorable matchup in the next round.

INSIGHT

Ethics of Strategic Losing

Athletes prioritize winning championships over individual matches.
Losing a match strategically can be ethical when it increases the chances of overall victory.

ANECDOTE

Strategic Losing in Other Sports

Intentional walks in baseball and taking safeties in football are examples of strategic losing.
These tactics prioritize overall game outcomes over winning every single point or play.

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To celebrate the imminent start of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France we have an episode originally reported in 2016. No matter what sport you play, the object of the game is to win. And that’s hard enough to do. But we found a match where four top athletes had to do the opposite in one of the most high profile matches of their careers. Thanks to a quirk in the tournament rules, their best shot at winning was … to lose.

This week, in honor of the 2024 Summer Olympics, we are rerunning a story from 2016 in which we scrutinize the most paradoxical and upside down badminton match of all time. A match that dumbfounded spectators, officials, and even the players themselves. And it got us to wondering … what would sports look like if everyone played to lose?

Special thanks to Aparna Nancherla, Mark Phelan, Yuni Kartika, Greysia Polii, Joy Le Li, Mikyoung Kim, Stan Bischof, Vincent Liew, Kota Morikowa, Christ de Roij and Haeryun Kang.

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