Rachael Darragh falls to agonising defeat on Olympic debut

Rachael Darragh saw her Olympic Games debut end in defeat after she was edged out by European Games bronze medallist Jenjira Stadelmann.

Raphoe badminton ace Darragh lost out 21-13 22-24 15-21 to Stadelmann in the Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris on Tuesday in her opening Group L match.

Darragh threw down the gauntlet to pre-match favourite Stadelmann when winning the first game 21-13, only for the Swiss woman to hit back and edge an utterly absorbing second game 24-22.

The 26-year-old Raphoe woman had match point at one stage of that second game and Stadelmann shook her own head clear to push ahead in the closing stages of the third.

Although putting it up impressively to a lofty opponent, Darragh will be disappointed to have let victory slip from her grasp for it was within reach.

Darragh began superbly, leading 11-4 at the first interval, and she stretched the lead with a deceptive shot on the resumption.

The early stages had been tit-for-tat before Darragh found some rhythm..

Her uncle and fellow Raphoe native Daniel Magee, the high performance director at Badminton Ireland, alongside coach Iskandar Zulkarnain accompanied Darragh to the court in a proud moment for the family.

Stadelmann lost out in her opening match on Sunday, losing 21-11 21-19 to Carolina Marin.

Spaniard Marin, the fourth seed, will face Darragh on Wednesday afternoon. Marin was the 2016 Olympic Games gold medallist and last year was the European Games champion.

Stadelmann narrowed the deficit a little, but Darragh asserted some control to open up a ten-point (19-9) lead.

Darragh was unsuccessful with two challenges to the instant review system (IRS) during a time when Stadelmann chalked up four points in rapid succession, but the Donegal woman drew first blood 21-13.

Stadelmann raced into a 4-0 lead in the second game and reeled off five-in-row to lead 11-4 at the interval.

A couple of unforced Darragh errors allowed Stadelmann to stay in command before a rousing rally restored the challenge.

Darragh planted the seeds of doubt in her opponent when coming back to within three (15-12) before drawing level at 16-16.

Stadelmann crept ahead, but a serve error allowed Darragh a chance again. Darragh had match point at 22-21 in an epic tussel, but Stablemann forced a third, decisive game 24-22.

Earlier this year, Darragh reached the last 32 of the European Championships, losing out 24-22 23-12 against Miranda Wilson after defeating Ksenia Polikaprova 21-23 21-15 21-17. Darragh was also a quarter-finalist at the Madrid Spain Masters World Tour.

Stadelmann, born in Thailand, moved to Switzerland with her father when she was 16 and was the 2023 European Games bronze medallist.

They were level six times and the arena gripped in nerves for the winner-takes-all third game before Darragh slammed ahead 11-10.

Stadelmann found her nerve again and there was a seismic momentum shift when she took a 16-15 lead. From there, she went on to claim a victory and leave Darragh agonising over what might have been.

Darragh is a niece of three-time Olympic badminton player Chloe Magee. In 2008 in Beijing, Magee made history when beating Kati Tolmoff from Estonia to become the first Irish woman to win a badminton match at the Olympic Games.

Magee also featured at the 2012 and 2016 editions of the Olympic Games.

Darragh will now face Marin at around lunchtime on Wednesday.