Japan launched an astonishing fightback to deny surprise finalists Denmark and win the country's first Olympic Games badminton gold medal in a pulsating final of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games women's doubles competition on Thursday (18 August).

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Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi of Japan and Danish pair Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl contested a tempestuous first game which saw all four players called separately to the umpire's chair, and the match referee speaking to the team coaches on both sides.

The Danes took the first game but the Japanese pair bounced back to claim the second. They looked down and out at 16-19 in the third, until they rattled off five straight points as the Danes imploded with the gold medal in reach.

"We thought we would lose but we were trying to get at least one more point to surprise them," Matsutomo said. "We thought this was going to be our last match so win or lose, we needed to put all our effort in."

Earlier on Thursday, world No.1 Carolina Marin of Spain knocked defending champion Li Xuerui of China out of the women's singles competition, to exact revenge for her defeat to the Chinese player in the group stages of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Marin showed no mercy in Thursday's semi-final and is a strong favourite to win gold for Spain (Photo: Getty Images/David Ramo)

Showing the kind of form that has captured two world and two European championships since 2014, Marin eased through the first game and forged ahead in the second before Li went down holding her left knee. The 25-year-old limped back into action but could not win another point as Marin closed out the match, trimming to two the number of badminton gold medals China can now take home from Rio 2016, compared to all five at London 2012.

"The most important thing today was to show her that I wanted to beat her and not see myself as less than her because it is clear the Chinese dominate badminton," said Marin, who remains on course to become the first non-Asian winner of the women's singles title at an Olympic Games.

Standing in Marin's way is the imposing figure of Pusarla V. Sindhu of India, who reeled off 10 points in a row to close out her semi-final against Nozomi Okuhara of Japan.

Pusarla V. Sindhu will carry the hopes of more than a billion people on her shoulders in Friday's singles final (Photo: Getty Images/David Ramos)

The Chinese Badminton Association announced later on Thursday that Li will not be able to compete in the bronze medal match on Friday, handing Japan its second medal of the competition without a shuttle being struck.

Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge of Great Britain completed a miserable day for China as they beat Chai Biao and Hong Wei in the men's doubles bronze medal match to secure Great Britain's third Olympic Games badminton medal and its first since 2004.

Friday's action

In a much anticipated match on Friday, Lin Dan of China will meet Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei in the men's singles semi-final, in a repeat of the past two gold medal matches, won on both occasions by Lin.

In the women's event, Marin aims to complete a career promise she made to her coach as a 14-year-old but will face a formidable opponent in Sindhu who can finally emerge from the shadow of Saina Nehwal and win a first badminton gold medal for India.

In the men's doubles gold medal match, the Chinese pairing of Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan will take on Malaysia's Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong.

Rio 2016 badminton: schedule and results

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