Switching Your Badminton Racquet Mid-Point Is Next Level Saucy
I'm not exactly dialed in to the badminton scene, but I have to imagine that not alot of people out there would feel confident in saying that Australia would have a chance to beat a Japanese team. Besides the women's singles in 2016 at Rio, it's pretty rare when Asian countries aren't sweeping the podium in any form of the sport. So if Australia was going to have any chance here, it was going to take big time players making some big time plays.
Let me tell ya--it doesn't get any more big time than running off to the sideline to grab a new racquet in the middle of a point and then to come back and use said racquet to deliver the kill shot. Granted, it didn't even come close to helping out Australia in the end since they lost in 2 straight games. But still. That was a saucy, saucy play.
And we see things like this every so often in hockey. A player will break his stick, he'll skate down the ice, grab a new stick in the middle of the play and then go on to score a few moments later. Here's Crosby doing it against the Flyers just a few months ago.
But there you have the help of the equipment manager doing all the work for you. He made sure to grab the new stick, he held it out ready for Sid to easily just pick up in stride, he's the reason that goal happened. Gronya Somerville didn't roll up to Tokyo with an equipment manager. She had to make sure she had that other racquet ready to rock on her own. Handle out on the table for an easy pickup. Next level. That's what the Olympics are all about. You might only watch a few minutes of badminton once every 4 years, but it's the most kickass few minutes as possible.