Two-time Badminton World Cup gold medalist Ye Zhaoying would square off with Gong Zhichao for a final spot in the 2000 Olympics.

But the settlement took place even before the semi-finals had started - on orders from the top of the system.

- They told me that it was important that no one could see that I lost on purpose.

It would end in two sets, I couldn't tire her out before the final.

They would give me the same cash bonus as the winner instead, but I didn't want the money, Zhaoying told TV2 Sport.

"Otherwise they risk being fired"

The semi-final between the national women was played before the other semi-final, between Denmark's Camilla Martin and China's Dai Yun.

As there could be Danish opposition in the final, it was considered important that the right player progressed from the first match to have the best chance of a gold for the nation.

- Nobody knew that Camilla would go to the final, so they had to decide which of us was most likely to defeat Camilla in the final.

Then they decided I needed to lose.

The head coach of the national team at the time, Li Yongebo, and the women's team coach Tang Xuehua informed her of the decision.

In China, the Olympics is the biggest thing you can win and the performance targets are brutal, both on the athletes, the coaches and their managers.

If you don't perform, you usually lose your job.

- It is vital both for coaches and managers to come back to China with pockets full of gold.

Otherwise, they risk being fired.

That's why they started match-fixing before and during the Olympics.

Seen as traitors in China

Camilla Martin works today with Badminton on TV 2 in Denmark and met Zhaoying and her husband Hao Haidong in Spain where they now live - without contact with China.

In 2020, Haidong expressed his support for his wife and strongly criticized the Chinese regime.

A few hours later they were erased from the history books, from the internet and are now unwanted in the country of their birth.

- Anything can happen.

We can be taken into custody, arrested or even executed.

We were scared for our lives when they started to take away our history, says Hao Haidong who was one of China's biggest soccer stars, he says.

Zyaoying is 48 years old today.

She tells:

- The Chinese government says we are traitors, but we have never said anything negative about the people, only about the regime.

If you look at what we've lost, versus what we've been able to contribute to for generations in China, it's all worth it.

We want the world to see the heinous actions of the Chinese government.

Even family and friends have distanced themselves and turned their backs on the couple.