Lee Zii Jia admits he has become a more complete shuttler under the guidance of Wong Tat Meng, as opposed to just smashing as the Malaysian departed for Paris with ambitions of dominating the Olympics.

The world number seven will head to his second Olympics as one of the main contenders for a gold medal, having won two titles at the Thailand Open and more recently the Australian Open.

Lee also finished second at the Malaysia Masters, which meant he had fantastic two-month period from May-June with two silverware and a silver medal.

As he touches down in Paris to begin his Olympic journey that begins in the group stage, Lee reflected on his journey under Wong.

“Tat Meng has made me into an all-rounded player, as opposed to only an offensive one. Before this, there wasn’t much rally shots or even defensive shots from me. I am more comfortable now, and not only just smashing.

“I have learned to perform more variety under him. I have also rediscovered the love for badminton. I hope to bring all these energy and good vibes to the Olympics,” Lee told the Badminton World Federation.

Wong was hired by Lee in May last year, with the hopes of helping the shuttler achieve Olympic glory.

The 56-year-old has also indicated he may leave his role as Lee’s coach after the Olympics is over, so this could well be Wong's last assignment with Lee.

But regardless of the result, Wong has succeeded to mold Lee’s belief that he can become one of the best in Paris.

Perseorangan negara, Lee Zii Jia bersama jurulatihnya Wong Tat Meng tiba di KLIA untuk berangkat ke Paris malam ini.

Goodluck and all the best, Zii Jia! ????@ASTROARENA pic.twitter.com/nowC4MFrrC
— Fatin Ruzaiman (@fateenshazwani) July 21, 2024

It was a far cry from last year when the 2021 All-England champion admitted was one of the toughest of his career.

“Last year was the toughest of my career. My ranking dropped from second to 16-17, and at one point I was scared that I would not qualify for the Olympics. I was also having issues with my confidence.

“After losing at the Indonesia Open last year, I even said I wanted to rest for a while,” he added.

Lee left from Kuala Lumpur to Paris on July 21.

He is in Group G of the Olympics, along with Viren Nettasinghe (Sri Lanka) & Pablo Abian (Spain).