With Lee YongDae and Yoo YeonSong taking one of the olympic spots, there's only one place left for either Kim KiJung and Kim SaRang, or Shin BaekCheol and Ko SungHyun. With Shin and Ko having proven themselves at the Worlds, I guess they'd be favourites, despite the fact that Kim/Kim have the better ranking. That said, Ko will be qualifying for the XD with Kim HaNa, and Chae YooJung and Shin BaekCheol's would be Korea's #2 pair (I think they can still qualify if they perform well this coming month, though I haven't done the maths). It looks like a difficult choice...
The Kim's are easy to beat, with lil X-factor! Ko/Shin are not only more ferocious but are also "hungry" for titles! If only Ko manages both the events, it shouldn't be much difficult to choose between the two
With 3 SS and one SS Premier left, it is of course mathematically possible for them to qualify. Replacing their 4 worst results with titles in those 4 events would give them a boost of over 20,000 points and they are currently 12,000 behind Xu/Ma. They are also in the semis this weekend and are entered in the China Masters so they have two chances at 7000 GPG points, too. No matter how you look at it, it's an uphill battle, though. One more victory in New Zealand will put Ko/Shin ahead of the two Kims.
No, it doesn't matter whether Xu/Ma qualify, if they or the Danes hold on to 8th spot, and keep it from Shin/Chae, then the Koreans can only send one pair.
Tricky one - I reckon Ko/Shin are just about the better pair, but running them both in another discipline - which they'd have to do - might detract from both... Shin's my favourite player, though, so I'd send Ko/Shin just so I could watch them.
KO's a hardworking man, and if he is able to qualify in both, why not send him on both he deserves every bit of it! Provided after taking a strong harsh racquet on face up there KHN is still willing to partner him!
i think ko/shin should be sent to the olympics because they're higher ranked and consistently doing better in tournaments than kim/kim but if they're both inside the top 8 isn't that up to the korean association? ko/shin perform better on bigger occasions i think like the world championships so i'd put my faith in them. as long as ko (and maybe shin if he can qualify in XD) can handle playing both XD and MD
From balance KO/SHIN has the better stats for 2016. If I compare head to head Ko/Shin just beat the Kims once. The Kims beat them up 3 times in the last 2.5 years. Ko/Shin won for 2016 nearly 81% of their games. The Kims just 68%. But IMO you can't just count 2016. You need to count from the date since the qualification started. IMO the ranking is just a snap shot and in 2015 past 1st May the Kims were higher ranked than Ko/Shin. Sympathy: I like Ko, but hate Shin til' death. I love the Kims, so I would send out the Kims.
kim/kim can beat ko/shin but they can't beat lee/yoo and that's likely who they'll meet in the final stages..
I think I said that before they beat them when they won the superseries. TBH based on current performance I'd send Kim/Kim. Shin doesn't seem to be playing well lately, maybe he's tired and can't handle both XD and MD or it was the continuous tournaments or whatever. It sucks for Shin but I'd prefer Ko to just concentrate on XD for the olympics. Shin is only 26(?) surely he'll have another opportunity.
I just can't stand the Kim's they hardly amuse me with their same pame style! They aren't even athletic and sometimes hardly show any fighting spirit!
I don't particularly like the Kim's either they don't really seem that special to me? Kim sa rang is very fast but they both don't have killer smashes and they tend to make a lot of mistakes too. But at the moment they're better than ko/shin.
They have personality and show emotions. KSR seems to me like a really funny and crazy guy and I think you can drink a couple of beer with him and party. KGJ is more the focused and silent guy but if you see them live on court you understand that they are real partners and worship each other. Did you ever seen them in person? I have seen all korean MD at the same events and KSR and KGJ have great smashs, but the smash is not the only thing which makes a player special. Take LYD for example at the back. He is not a big cannon, but must a player be a big cannon, to be deadly and sucessful? Every player makes mistakes. I don't have a reference what is a lot, but this year all seconds are a bit nervous if they competitors in their own team.
