At the Asian Games in Hangzhou three years ago, Li defeated Shi in an all-Chinese final, helping the host capture gold and silver.

However, at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nayoga, both stars suffered shocking early defeats to much lower-ranked South Korean opponents.

World number four Shi Yuqi fell in straight games (17-21, 23-25) to number 47 Yoo Tae-bin in the Round of 16. Meanwhile, defending gold medalist and world number 12 Li Shifeng suffered a 1-2 defeat (21-18, 19-21, 18-21) against number 102 Choi Ji-hoon in the Round of 32.

The dual elimination marks the first time China has failed to win a medal in the men’s singles event since their Asian Games debut in 1974.

The event has long been a source of national pride, highlighted by a dominant era between 2008 and 2016 when legends Lin Dan and Chen Long swept three Olympic and two Asian Games golds.

Following his early exit, Li attributed his poor performance to physical fatigue after a 90-minute loss to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the men’s team final on Sept. 24. He admitted that despite a day of rest, his mentality took a nosedive and he could not regain his form, Channel New Asia reported.

Shi revealed that he struggled with injuries and a lack of confidence leading up to the tournament.

The Asian Games failure continues a disappointing run for Chinese men’s badminton.

During the World Championships in India last August, the team failed to place a single player in the quarterfinals, with Shi exiting in the first round and Li falling in the Round of 16.

In other badminton events, China still achieved good results. The team captured gold in mixed doubles through Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin, as well as in the women’s team event. They also secured silvers in men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and the men’s team event, alongside bronze medals in women’s singles and mixed doubles.

In the women’s singles, Chinese athletes continue to struggle against the dominance of South Korea’s An Se-young and fierce competition from Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the semifinals. An later beat Yamaguchi in the final to clinch gold.

These disappointing results coincide with a period of turmoil within the Chinese Badminton Association (CBA). In April 2026, state media reported that CBA president and former Olympic champion Zhang Jun was under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law, standard terminology for corruption. Two other high-ranking officials, vice president Xia Xuanze and former vice president Wang Wei, faced similar investigations.

Less than two weeks before the Asian Games opened, Zhang Xin was elected as the new CBA president alongside vice president Li Lun.

According to the South China Morning Postthe new leadership vowed to implement anti-corruption reforms and clean up the sector’s administrative chaos.