Emms, Robertson have Olympic dreams dashed
Thursday, 14 Aug 2008 19:08
Team GB's Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson crash out in badminton mixed doubles quarter-finals in Beijing
Athens silver medallists Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson are out in Beijing after losing in the mixed doubles quarter-finals.
The British pair crashed out of the Olympics in a 21-19 21-12 defeat at the hands of Lee Hyo-jung and Lee Yong-dae of South Korea.
Emms and Robertson never established a foothold in the match and the Korean pair raced into a 20-11 lead in the second game.
In their previous match the Britons had launched a miraculous comeback to defeat the Chinese second seeds.
But there was no repeat performance to be had in their last eight-tie, ending Emms' Olympic career.
The 31-year-old had previously said the Beijing Games would be her last.
"I'm so proud of myself and of us as a team, it's just a shame we couldn't provide that dream ending to my career," she said after the defeat.
"I'm so emotional; I'm really going to cry now."
Robertson, also 31, admitted that the Beijing crows may have witnessed their last match together as a pair.
"If it was our last tournament then we've had a fantastic time together," he said.
"The dream ending for us just didn't happen. It's been an amazing partnership and it's a shame it has to come to an end, but we have some fantastic memories to take away with us."