As the white shuttlecock smoothly descended by the net in a badminton doubles match, the Japanese pair of Sayaka Hirota and Yuki Fukushima quickly stretched toward it with their rackets -- a moment captured in a dramatic overhead photo that shows their bodies and equipment forming a V.
The two were playing against Indonesia on Tuesday in their final match of the group play stage in women's badminton at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Indonesia won the match, but the Japanese V for victory was still appropriate as the team had already secured a berth in the quarterfinals. The Japanese and Indonesian pairs will both advance to continue their campaigns.
Hirota's right knee was heavily taped and guarded by a black brace. Having injured her anterior cruciate ligament in June, she described her appearance in the Games as a miracle. She and Fukushima are the world's No. 1 doubles team in women's badminton. They carry the nation's hopes that Japan will win women's doubles gold at two consecutive Olympic Games.
"I've never given up; I come here with a commitment," Hirota said.
"Hirota can move around as much as she can, and I only cover the rest," Fukushima said.
The photo of them stretching their arms toward the shuttlecock, caught by a camera on the ceiling, shows that their rackets almost touched -- vividly symbolizing the players' intensity. At a moment of united determination, the players in the red uniforms drew the letter V on court.
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