Badminton-Ratchanok seeks to make up for disappointment in Rio

By Rod Gilmour BIRMINGHAM, England, March 10 (Reuters) - Ratchanok Inthanon has blazed a trail in women's badminton since she became the youngest ever world champion in 2013 at the age of 18. Yet the young Thai has unfinished business to deal with this year at the Rio Olympics as she bids to ease the heartbreak of London 2012. Four years ago, Ratchanok found herself a game and 16-9 up in the Olympic quarter-finals against China's Wang Xin but the match ended in tears when she failed to convert her superior advantage into a victory. "It was my worst experience as a player," said Ratchanok, who reached the All England Championship quarter-finals for the fourth time on Thursday. "When I was interviewed by reporters, I couldn't stop crying." That defeat, she says, spurred her on to greater heights a year later when she broke China's eight-year stranglehold to lift the world title. "After I won, I felt the pressure," said Inthanon, who received flowers from the Thai royal family and money from the government as well as earning celebrity status at home. "But one year passed and I felt that I was still human." Ratchanok's rise is even more remarkable given her early dislike for the sport. When she was a child her parents moved to the suburbs of Bangkok where they worked at a factory producing Thai desserts. Keen to keep the factory children away from harm, the owner let them play on a badminton court she had built. "In the first place, I really didn't like it," said Ratchanok. "My parents said that I should give it a try. After a few years I started to love the game and I realised that I could make a living." Ratchanok has risen to world number four thanks to a brilliant all-round game built on deception, court craft and speed. She reached the All-England finals in 2013 but left the arena in a wheelchair after suffering cramp during last year's Championship. The recent Thailand Masters champion has sought to rectify any physical problems ahead of Rio and is confident of her chances in August. "I believe that I can win a medal and I am focused on a gold. There are many players coming into form but if I can play within myself I can beat anyone." (Editing by Clare Fallon)