The 10 Greatest Badminton Players in History
1. Lin Dan
Lin Dan is a Chinese player who has won the most number of singles titles in the history of men’s singles badminton (22). He also won a record-breaking 13 consecutive titles from 2011 to 2018. Lin Dan is also the only player to have achieved a perfect score in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles.
2. Taufik Hidayat
Taufik Hidayat was the first Indonesian player to win an Olympic gold medal in men’s singles, which he did at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was also awarded another gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as part of Indonesia’s team that won silver after losing to China in straight sets. Taufik has been ranked world number one for 14 years between 2003 and 2017, winning three consecutive World Championships in 2003, 2005, and 2007.
3. Lee Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei is a Malaysian badminton player. He was born in 1989 in Ipoh, Malaysia, and currently plays for the Malaysia badminton team. He is trained by former world champions Huang Wenyi and Chen Long. Lee has won many titles such as the Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, and All-England Championships. Lee had his most notable success in the 2010 China Open where he won the gold medal for Malaysia.
4. Jia Yifan
Jia Yifan is a badminton player from China. He was born on December 2, 1995, in Langfang, Hebei. He and his partner Li Junhui finished in second place in the mixed doubles event at the World Junior Championships in 2011. He also reached the final of the 2013 World Championships in mixed doubles.
5. Chen Long
Chen Long is a professional badminton player who has won many titles and become a worldwide sensation. Badminton Championships in consecutive years. Chen Long was born in 1988 and until recently has been a professional badminton player. He is ranked first in the world and has won many titles including the All England Open Badminton Championships, British Open, Indonesia Open, and Malaysia Open. In April 2018, he became the first person to win All England Opens for two consecutive years since Huang Zhihong in 1987-1989.
6. Goh V Shem
Goh V Shem is a badminton player who has been playing the sport since the age of 8 and was born in Malaysia. He is one of the best players in the world, having won 3 consecutive championships. He has competed in many international events and has also been successful in a number of other sports including ping pong, table tennis, and tennis.
7. Poul-Erik Hoyer
Poul-Erik Hoyer is a Danish badminton player, born on the 22nd of June 1968. He has been called one of the greatest badminton players of all time and has won numerous awards. and accolades including the All England Open Badminton Championships in 1988 and 1995, the European Men’s Championships in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992 and the World Badminton Grand Prix in 1990.
Hoyer was born on June 22nd, 1968 in Sorø, Denmark. He comes from a sporting family; his father Poul Hoyer is one of Denmark’s most accomplished racers of all time. His brother Peter Hoyer is also a professional cyclist who has won numerous Danish national championships as well as two world championship medals (Silver: Road) between 1994-1998.
8. Bao Chunlai
Bao Chunlai is a badminton player from China. He started playing badminton at the age of 6, and by the time he was 13, he had already made it to the national team. He was the youngest player ever to be inducted into the China National Team. Bao Chunlai had participated in many international competitions including Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, and Badminton World Cups. He was also the world champion for a period of time during 2003-2005. At the 2013 World Championship, he won the silver medal after losing to fellow countryman Lin Dan.
9. Carolina Marin
Carolina Marin is a Spanish badminton player and Olympic medallist. She has won two gold medals in the singles, as well as two silver medals in the doubles events. She has been ranked world number one for around five years and is known for her aggressive style of play.
10. Viktor Axelsen
Viktor Axelsen won the 2010 Denmark Open, the 2011 Denmark Open, and the 2015 China Open. The 15-time European champion, who won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, was also victorious at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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