BEIJING, Aug 20 (Bernama) - They passed each other at the weighing-in Wednesday but no words were exchanged.
Surprise could play the decider when Malaysia's Elaine Teo faces former European number one Azizi Tanrikulu of Turkey in their opening bout of the Olympics taekwondo below 57kg class Thursday.
Teo and teammate, Che Chew Chan, are Malaysia's last chance of a medal in the Games after shuttler Lee Chong Wei returned with the men's singles silver medal.
Che is in the above 67kg contest that will be determined on Saturday, also at the Beijing Science and Technology University gymnasium.
Teo is shorter and lighter than her Turkish opponent but she is counting on the fact that neither knows much of the other.
"We don't know each other, so there may be a surprise. Much will depend on tomorrow... if my feeling is good, everything will be good," said Teo who made her debut in the Athens Olympics in the light flyweight category of below 49kg and exited after the first round.
A mistake in her entry for the Asian qualifying tournament marked her for the higher class and since the SEA Games in December, the 27-year-old who is ranked fifth in Asia has had to pile on four more kilogrammes to tip the scales at 54kg.
Putting on weight was the easy part, turning the extra into muscle meant more weight training, she said.
Tanrikulu, younger by five years, was fifth in the European Championships this year. She stands at 1.72m, as compared to her 1.65m Malaysian rival and weighs closer to 57kg.Melaka-born Teo said Athens had been a good experience.
"I can control my feelings better, and better handle tension and nervousness. I am not thinking ahead but one bout at a time," she said.
If she wins, she will move into a quarterfinals bout against Diana Lopez of the United States or Chonnapas Premwaew of Thailand.
Lopez was the 2005 featherweight world champion and number three in the same tournament last year. The Thai girl was number two in the Asian championships, two years ago.
-- BERNAMA
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