South Korean badminton hero Lee Yong-dae arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday for his third Olympics, with his sights set on winning his second career gold medal.
"In Rio, I can feel the Olympic vibe in the air," Lee said after flying in from his Toronto training camp to Galeao International Airport. "It puts me in a different mindset."
(Yonhap)
Lee and Yoo Yeon-seong are the world No. 1 in men's doubles.
Though he's just 27, Lee is mulling retirement from international play after Rio, and he'd like nothing more than to go out on top.
He first shot to stardom by winning the mixed doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and Lee said he'd like to reciprocate fans' love and support with another gold.
"I've been to enough Olympics and Asian Games to know how to handle nerves," Lee said. "Everything went well in Canada. My conditioning improved a great deal at the camp."
Head coach Lee Deuk-choon said while all of his players are in great form, Lee and Yoo look especially strong.
The badminton team had been training in Toronto since July 24. (Yonhap)
