London: China went into the world badminton championships in Paris with head coach Li Yongbo wary they would be hard pushed to retain four of the five titles they won in 2009 and three might have to be enough.
On Sunday, those fears were swept away as his team marched off with all five for the first time since 1987.
The whitewash of the rest of the world sent a clear message ahead of China's next big set-piece, the Asian Games on home territory in Guangzhou in November.
Li's negative comments had been prompted by the defeat of the women's squad by South Korea in the Uber Cup and concern that men's doubles pair Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng had not played together for months because they represent different clubs. But it was Cai and Fu who delivered the fifth and final title at a full Pierre de Coubertin stadium, coming from behind to beat top-seeded Malaysians Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong 18-21 21-18 21-14.
Dominance
Cai played down the significance of the clean sweep, telling reporters: "We were not thinking about five gold medals. Each time we go on court we go with the aim to win and it was no different here."
But the rest of the world will know that China's dominance is as formidable as ever, noting also that the clean-sweep was achieved without Olympic champion Lin Dan, who made a shock exit in the quarter-finals.
His departure proved the cue for Chen Jin to emerge from Lin's shadow and make his own statement, beating ex-champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in straight sets.
At 24, Chen's best years are ahead of him and on Sunday he looked every inch a champion.
Underlining China's overall supremacy, the finals of the three other title matches were all-Chinese affairs.
British men's doubles player Anthony Clark, who partnered Nathan Robertson when they were crushed 21-6 21-9 in the third round by Cai and Fu, neatly summed up the mountain to climb.
"You can't replicate it in training," he said. "You could put 10 players on the opposite side of the net but it wouldn't prepare you for facing them."
