OLDS — Ryder Persson of Olds didn’t end up winning the badminton provincials, held May 2-3 in Red Deer.
In fact, he finished fourth overall.
His mom, Mary Marshall, an Olds high school badminton coach, says he learned that he can compete with the best in the country.
Persson won all his round robin games and his quarter-final match.
“Then he got a bit unlucky,” Marshall said during an interview with the Albertan.
“He came across a kid who’s actually third in Canada right now and he lost. But he lost in three games, so he was really close to beating that guy.”
That loss sent Persson to the bronze medal match.
“(By then) he was pretty dead, so he just narrowly lost that one too, but close games,” Marshall said.
Overall, Marshall said this experience was good for Persson.
“Now he knows that he can compete, not just at the provincial level, but also at the Canadian level. Kind of exciting for him for next year,” she said.
