Han is married to Cindy Shi, a USA Badminton Team member, and the couple has a son who was born in the fall of 2002 and is living with Cindy’s parents in China while Han prepares for the 2004 Olympic Games. He also works full time for Home Depot through the Olympic Job Opportunities Program (OJOP).

“It’s hard to work, take care of a child and train for the Olympics at the same time. With our family situation my wife and I both need to be working. That’s why her parents are taking care of our son in China,” Han said.

Bach, who was a full time student at Cal State Fullerton, took off from school to train. He plans to return to the classroom after the Olympics and finish his degree in business information systems, but for now his full time job is getting ready for Athens.

“You only get a limited number of chances to do this, so why not?” Bach said when asked about taking time off from school to train.

It might seem that the odds are stacked against them – two completely dissimilar men from diverse backgrounds who have only been playing together for three years. On top of that, before they began to play together, Han was a singles player and Bach had a partner who has since retired. However, neither of them is concerned about the past.

“Kevin and I haven’t been partners for that long, and he came from a singles background. So, there was a transition we went through, but we both have the right personality, mentality and attitude to form a good team and to win as a team,” said Bach.

In fact, they have the chance not only to win but also to make history in the process. If the pair claims a medal in Athens it will be the first time that Americans have taken a podium for badminton since the sport was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1992. Han and Bach are confident that they can straighten out a few consistency problems they have been battling and claim a place in the record books.

“If we play well we can play with anybody, even the top players in the world,” Han stated. “I think if we get our consistency worked out over the next six months we really have a shot at a medal.”

Badminton players, including pairs, qualify for the Olympics based on their official International Badminton Federation ranking as of April 30, 2004. The pair has not yet qualified for the Games in Athens, but Han and Bach, who are currently ranked No. 19, will qualify unless they fall below the Canadian pair that is currently ranked No. 47.

In order to prepare for the challenges ahead of them, they have been training five days a week for five to six hours per day in Orange, Calif. Not to mention the fact that they each have lives off the court.

“Everyone around me is being very supportive of my Olympic dream, and they are giving me the opportunity to do my best,” Han said.

Athens will be Han’s third Olympiad. He was a member of both the 1996 and 2000 USA Badminton teams. However, he used his first two Olympic experiences to improve as a player, and this year he hopes to capitalize on the things he has learned.

“I want to play more than well. Hopefully, I will get even farther than the last time and give myself a memorable experience to look back on,” stated Han.

Bach will be a first-time Olympian in 2004, but that in no way means he is a stranger to this level of competition. He has played some of the best in the world. In fact, Han and Bach are in Thailand attempting to improve their world ranking at the Thailand Open in Bangkok, Jan. 20-25.

As for what will happen to these two men after August, only time will tell. Bach plans to go back to school and begin training for the 2005 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif. Han wants to continue playing and begin mentoring younger players. He said that helping them achieve their goals will be his main priority.

“I learned from my past experience so I want to give all the young players what I know about the game and put USA Badminton on the map,” said Han.