Kumiko Ogura and Reiko Shiota have long been awaiting the best possible setting to show that they are more than just badminton pin-up girls.
Ogura and Shiota, nicknamed "Ogu-Shio," are heading to the Beijing Olympics looking to produce a result that will justify the popularity they have gained through media exposure.
The lively doubles pair can take much of the credit for giving badminton in Japan a degree of attention it has never experienced before. On top of the role they have played as poster girls in recent years, they have grown to prove their true worth on the court and break into the world's elite ranks.