Amanda Knapp
Badminton has been an Olympic sport since 1992, with singles and doubles matches introduced in Barcelona that year, and mixed doubles following in 1996 in Atlanta. The sport has been dominated by Asian countries, particularly China, which has won 38 medals, 16 of them gold. China is the only country to have achieved a shutout of the medals, which they did at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Indonesia is the second most successful country in badminton at the Olympics, with 21 medals. Olympic badminton consists of men's and women's singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Introduction | 1992, with mixed doubles introduced in 1996 |
| Participating Countries | China, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan, and the US |
| Rules | Matches are played in a best-of-three format with games up to 21 points. Rally scoring is used, so a player doesn't need to be serving to score. A player must win by two points or be the first to reach 30 points. The serving player must hit the shuttlecock below the waist and land it diagonally in the opponent's service court. |
| Top Performing Countries | China, Indonesia, South Korea |
| US Players | Howard Shu, Iris Wang, Sattawat Pongnairat, Phillip Chew, Eva Lee, Paula Lynn Obanana, Jamie Subandhi, Beiwen Zhang, Vincent Chiu, Joshua Yuan |
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Mixed doubles
Badminton was introduced as an Olympic sport at the 1992 Barcelona Games, with men's and women's singles and doubles. However, mixed doubles were not added until the 1996 Atlanta Games.
The rules of badminton at the Olympics are the same for all categories, including mixed doubles. Each match is played as the best of three games, with games played up to 21 points. A player must win by two points or be the first to 30 points. A rally scoring system is used, meaning a player does not need to be serving to score a point. The serve must be hit below the waist and landed diagonally into the opponent's service court.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature 171 badminton players across five medal events, including mixed doubles. Team USA is eyeing its first medal in badminton, with Beiwen Zhang, Vincent Chiu, and Joshua Yuan being their top players.
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Singles and doubles
Badminton was introduced at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, with singles and doubles matches. Four years later, at the 1996 Atlanta Games, mixed doubles were added to the roster.
In singles, around 40 competitors are selected, while 16 pairs are chosen for doubles. Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can send a maximum of two players or pairs if they are within the top 16 on the singles rankings or top 8 on the doubles rankings. Each of the five continental confederations is guaranteed at least two entries in singles and one in doubles. If an NOC qualifies for more than two events through the Continental Representation Place system, it must choose which ones to enter, and the declined quota place will be offered to the next eligible NOC. The host nation reserves one spot in each of the men's and women's singles events, which are awarded to its highest-ranked badminton players.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris featured 171 badminton players across five medal events (two per gender and a mixed category). NOCs could enter a maximum of eight badminton players across men's and women's singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. The remaining players secured their spots through the "Race to Paris" ranking list.
Badminton matches at the Olympics are played in a best-of-three games format, with each game played up to 21 points. A player must win by two points or be the first to reach 30 points. A rally points scoring system is used, where either side can score regardless of whether they are serving or receiving.
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Scoring system
Badminton is played either as singles or doubles. In singles, two players compete against each other, and in doubles, two pairs of players form teams and compete against each other, resulting in a game of four players. All singles and doubles matches are the best of three games.
In Olympic badminton, a point is scored on every serve and is awarded to whichever side wins the rally. The winning side gets the next serve. The first side to 21 points wins a game. If the score is 20-20, a side must win by two clear points to win the game. If the score reaches 29-29, the first side to score their 30th point wins.
The server starts from the right service court and will serve from that side every time they have an even number of points. A player serves from the left every time they have an odd number of points. Each player will retain serve as long as they keep winning points. In doubles, the server will start on the right-hand side and keep serving while alternating sides with their teammate, as long as they keep winning points. If the receiving side takes the point, they assume the serve.
A point begins when a server hits the shuttlecock (also known as a birdie) diagonally to the opposite side of the court. The point ends when a player fails to hit the birdie over the net or inside their opponent's side of the court, and the opponent wins the point. If a player hits the shuttlecock more than once in a row, they lose the point. Points are also conceded if a player touches the net with their racket or enters their opponent's side of the court by going underneath the net.
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Participating nations
Badminton was introduced at the Olympic Summer Games in 1992, with the mixed doubles competition debuting in 1996. The sport is similar to tennis, with a net dividing the court in half, but it requires a continuous volley of a shuttlecock, which is a cone-shaped object with feathers attached to a rubber or cork base. Olympic badminton consists of men's and women's singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles. The host nation reserves one spot in each of the men's and women's singles events, and if the host nation's players qualify directly, their slots are reallocated to the next highest-ranked eligible players.
The Badminton World Federation's ranking list is used to determine qualification for the Olympic tournament. Around 40 competitors are selected for singles, and 16 pairs are chosen for doubles. Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can send a maximum of two players or pairs if they are within the top 16 in singles or top 8 in doubles rankings. Below this, each NOC can send a maximum of one player or pair.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris featured 171 badminton players competing across five medal events, with an equal number of men and women. France, as the host nation, reserved spots in the men's and women's singles for their highest-ranked badminton players. The remaining players secured their spots through a direct qualifying process, with the "Race to Paris" ranking list determining their placement in their respective categories.
Badminton is considered a niche sport in the United States, and no American athlete has ever medaled in the sport at the Olympics. However, in Asia, badminton enjoys significant popularity, and countries like Malaysia and China have been known to field strong badminton teams at the Olympic Games.
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Team USA
Badminton has been an Olympic sport since 1992, with mixed doubles being introduced in 1996. The sport involves two people using bats to hit a shuttlecock—a cone-shaped object with feathers attached to a rubber or cork base—back and forth over a net, aiming to reach 21 points.
The United States has yet to win a medal in Olympic badminton, but the country has a long history with the sport. The first American badminton club was formed in New York in 1878, and the United States is one of the five founding members of the Badminton Pan America. The national team is controlled by the governing body for badminton in the country, USA Badminton.
In the 2024 Olympics, seven athletes will compete in all five badminton events, making it the largest US badminton team since Rio 2016. Leading the team is Olympic veteran Beiwen Zhang, currently ranked 10th in the world, who will compete in the women's singles event. Zhang previously competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games but had to retire due to injury. Joining her are identical twins Annie and Kerry Xu, who will compete in the women's doubles event, and Vinson Chiu and Joshua Yuan, who will compete in the men's doubles event. Vinson Chiu will also compete in the mixed doubles event with Jennie Gai.
In the past, the US has had success in international badminton competitions. The men's team were runners-up at the 1952 Thomas Cup, and the women's team won the Uber Cup three consecutive times from 1957 to 1963. In 2005, Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan won a gold medal in the BWF World Championships, and in 2001, the mixed team won their first title at the Pan Am Mixed Team Championships.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, badminton is a co-ed sport in the Olympics. Mixed doubles were introduced in 1996 in Atlanta.
Badminton was introduced as an Olympic sport in 1992 in Barcelona.
China, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Russia have won medals in badminton at the Olympics. China has dominated the sport, winning 20 out of 39 gold medals.
The number of players varies, but each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can send a maximum of two players/pairs for singles and doubles events. For the 2024 Olympics in Paris, 171 badminton players competed across five medal events.
No, Team USA has never won a medal in Olympic badminton.
