Olympic Badminton Players 'Don't Drink Beer and Cook Out': We catch up with Howard Bach, who with doubles partner Tony Gunawan is the United States' best chance in ages at a medal in badminton.
Howard Bach wants you to know something about badminton: It’s not a sissy sport.
Oh yeah, everyone has played something they call badminton, usually with a beer in one hand and meat grilling nearby. That is to badminton as your daily commute is to the Indianapolis 500. Real badminton will kick your ass. The best players hit a shuttlecock more than 200 mph, and chasing it requires the speed of a sprinter and the stamina of a distance runner. Bach has on many occasions sent fellow Olympians in other sports stumbling away after 10 minutes on the court at the Olympic Training Center.
Wired: How big a story will it be if you medal in London?
Bach: That would be another Cinderella story. That would be another miracle on ice, except for, you know, in badminton.