Looking to smash it

Shi's time to peak

As China's first men's world No 1 since retired Olympic champion Chen Long in 2016, Shi has been enjoying a dream season, which saw him win four singles titles in five finals on the BWF World Tour and help the Chinese men's squad win its 11th Thomas Cup last month in Chengdu.

Hailed as the successor of the legendary Lin "Super" Dan and Chen, Shi's career has suffered a series of setbacks, including three surgeries and a disciplinary suspension, which had threatened to derail his career before it fully took off. The spell of misfortune, however, has simply proved to be a test on his path to something great, as a newfound momentum is building at just the right time.

"Mentally, I've become more mature and I'm much more motivated again with the Olympics approaching. I will cherish the opportunity and go all-out to try to reach the top step of the podium," said the 28-year-old.

Shi's attempt to win it all in Paris will face a stern challenge from defending Olympic champion Axelsen, who leads 9-3 head-to-head against Shi, but has suffered two straight losses to the Chinese star and conceded the top ranking spot after spending 132 weeks there.

Defending Asian champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia has emerged as another serious threat, having upset Shi twice this year in the All England Open semifinals and Asian championships quarterfinals.

Having almost seen it and done it all at the elite level, former singles world champion Zhao Jianhua encouraged Shi to embrace the pressure and draw power from within.

"The pressure of competing at the Olympics and representing your country only once every four years is huge. Yet, all the top athletes have been conditioned to live with it and get motivated by it," said Zhao, a 59-year-old legend who won back-to-back Asian Games singles titles in 1986 and 1990.

"For Shi, I hope he's improved his mental game well enough to be able to deliver under pressure at the Olympics."