Andrew Pace
Badminton has been a part of the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, where it was first introduced as a medal event. The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris marked badminton's ninth appearance at the Games, with a total of 171 players competing across five medal events. The host country reserves a spot in the men's and women's singles events, with the remaining players qualifying through a direct process or by ranking. Olympic badminton consists of a group stage and single-elimination format, with matches played in a best-of-three format up to 21 points. China has been the most dominant country in Olympic badminton, being the only nation to achieve a shutout of medals in the sport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First introduced as a medal event | 1992, Barcelona Olympic Games |
| Number of appearances in the Summer Olympics | 9 |
| Number of players in 2024 Summer Olympics | 171 |
| Number of medal events in 2024 Summer Olympics | 5 |
| Number of competitors selected for singles | 40 |
| Number of competitors selected for doubles | 16 pairs |
| Number of players each NOC can enter in men's and women's singles | 2 |
| Number of pairs each NOC can enter in doubles | 2 |
| Number of games in each match | 3 |
| Points to win a game | 21 |
| Points to win if both players have over 29 points | 30 |
| Countries that have won gold medals in every badminton discipline | China, Indonesia |
| Non-Asian badminton player who has won an Olympic gold medal | Denmark's Poul-Erik Høyer |
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Badminton's Olympic history
Badminton has been a part of the Summer Olympic Games since its debut at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. However, its Olympic history goes back further than this. The sport was first held as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and was an exhibition sport at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. At these Games, thirty players from nine countries competed in the five events.
The 1992 Games in Barcelona were the first time the sport was a medal event. The first player to win an Olympic badminton medal was Indonesian Susi Susanti, who won the women's singles final. Two hours later, her fiancé Alan Budi Kusuma won the men's singles final, taking Indonesia's second gold medal. Susanti is considered a legendary player, having made significant contributions to the sport.
Since its debut, badminton has featured at every Summer Olympics, with men's and women's singles and doubles being held at every Games. The mixed doubles tournament was introduced at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. The 2024 Paris Olympics will be badminton's ninth time as part of the Summer Olympic Games.
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Rules
Badminton has been a regular fixture at the Summer Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Games, with five disciplines: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles. The rules of badminton at the Olympics are as follows:
Scoring
The scoring system in badminton is called rally scoring, where either side can score a point regardless of who is serving. Matches are played in a best-of-three format, with games played up to 21 points. If the score reaches 20-20, players will continue playing until one side has a two-point lead. If the score reaches 29-29, the first side to score 30 points wins.
Serving
In singles, the server starts from the right service court and will serve from that side every time they have an even number of points. The server will switch to the left service court when they have an odd number of points. In doubles, the server will start on the right and continue serving from the same side, alternating with their partner, as long as they keep winning points. If the receiving side wins a point, they assume the serve.
Faults
Common faults in badminton include hitting the shuttlecock above the waist on a serve, touching the service lines during a serve, or letting the shuttlecock touch the ground within the boundaries of the court. Players must also not reach over the net to hit the shuttlecock and must not touch the net with their body or racket.
Court
The length of a badminton court is the same for singles and doubles matches, at approximately 13.4 metres (44 feet). The width differs, with singles courts measuring 5.18 metres (17 feet) and doubles courts extending to 6.1 metres (20 feet). The net is placed in the middle of the court and is set at 1.55 metres (5 feet) tall in the centre, with the posts one inch taller.
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Medal events
Badminton has been a part of the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will be badminton's ninth time as part of the Summer Olympic Games. The badminton tournaments at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris featured 171 badminton players competing across five medal events: two per gender and one mixed event. The five medal events included men's and women's singles, and men's, women's, and mixed doubles.
The host nation, France, reserved a spot for the highest-ranked badminton player in the men's and women's singles events. The remaining badminton players underwent a direct qualifying process to secure a spot in their respective categories through the "Race to Paris" ranking list. NOCs (National Olympic Committees) could enter a maximum of eight badminton players across the five medal events. For singles, NOCs could enter a maximum of two players each in the men's and women's singles if they were ranked within the top sixteen of the "Race to Paris" ranking list. Otherwise, they sent a single player until a roster of thirty-eight was completed.
Similar protocols applied to the doubles tournament, where NOCs could enter a maximum of two pairs if they were ranked in the top eight, with the rest entitled to a single pair until a quota of sixteen was reached. Each match is played to the best of three games, with games going up to 21 points. Rally scoring is used, meaning a player does not need to be serving to score. A player must win by two points or be the first to reach 30 points.
China has dominated the Summer Olympics in badminton, being the only country ever to achieve a shutout of medals, which they did in 2012. Indonesia is the second most successful country in badminton at the Olympics, with Indonesian players Susi Susanti and Alan Budi Kusuma winning the first two gold medals for their country in 1992. Denmark's Poul-Erik Høyer is the only non-Asian badminton player to have won an Olympic gold medal, which he did in the men's singles event in 1996.
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Top players
Badminton has been a part of the Summer Olympics since the 1992 Games in Barcelona. The sport made its debut as an official Olympic sport in 1992, but it was first included as a demonstration sport in 1972 and was an exhibition sport in 1988. The men's and women's singles and doubles have been held at every Summer Olympics since 1992, with the mixed doubles tournament being introduced in 1996.
Over the years, several badminton players have achieved success and won medals at the Summer Olympics. Here are some of the top players who have made their mark in Olympic badminton:
Gao Ling
Gao Ling is a Chinese badminton player and the all-time leader for the most Olympic medals in badminton. She has won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze, making her the most decorated badminton player at the Olympics.
Fu Haifeng
Fu Haifeng is a Chinese badminton player who has won two gold medals and one silver medal at the Olympic Games. He is one of the few players to have won multiple gold medals in the sport.
Susi Susanti and Alan Budikusuma
Susi Susanti and Alan Budikusuma are an Indonesian couple who won their country's first-ever Olympic gold medals in badminton at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Susanti won the women's singles gold, and Budikusuma won the men's singles gold, making them national champions.
Mia Audina
Mia Audina is a notable badminton player who has won Olympic medals for two different countries. She won a silver medal in 1996 representing Indonesia and another silver in 2004 representing the Netherlands, making her the only badminton player to achieve this feat.
Viktor Axelsen
Viktor Axelsen is a Danish badminton player who has won two gold medals at the Olympic Games. He is among the leaders for the most gold medal wins in badminton, showcasing his dominance in the sport.
These players have left their mark on Olympic badminton, achieving success and representing their countries with pride. Their performances have inspired and continue to inspire badminton enthusiasts worldwide.
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Participating countries
Badminton has been a part of the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, although it first appeared as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Since its inaugural staging, 74 different nations have participated in Olympic badminton competitions, with 17 nations appearing in all nine Olympiads.
China has been the most successful nation in Olympic badminton, winning 52 medals, 37 of which were from the women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles tournaments. China is the only country to have achieved a shutout of medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics. China has won 18 Olympic gold medals, the highest number of any nation.
Indonesia is the second most successful country in Olympic badminton after China. Indonesia and China are the only countries that have won gold medals in every badminton discipline. Indonesia has won 19 Olympic medals, consisting of 7 gold, 6 silver, and 6 bronze medals. Indonesia's first Olympic gold medal was won by Susi Susanti at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
South Korea has a similar medal tally to Indonesia, with 19 medals, including 6 gold, 7 silver, and 6 bronze. The first-ever mixed doubles Olympic gold was won by a South Korean pair, Kim Dong-moon and Gil Young-ah, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Denmark is the sole non-Asian country to have dominated Olympic badminton over the past few decades, winning 8 medals, including 1 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze. Poul Erik Hoyer-Larsen won Denmark's first Olympic gold medal in the men's singles category at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Other countries that have participated in Olympic badminton include Malaysia, Japan, India, Thailand, and Chinese Taipei.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, badminton is a part of the Summer Olympics.
Badminton made its debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
The number of competitors varies, but in the 2024 Summer Olympics, 171 badminton players competed across five medal events.
The Badminton World Federation's ranking list is used to determine qualification. For singles, around 40 competitors are selected, and for doubles, 16 pairs are selected.
China and Indonesia are the most successful countries in Olympic badminton. China is the only country to achieve a shutout of the medals, which they did in 2012. Indonesia has produced two Olympic badminton champions, Susi Susanti and Alan Budi Kusuma. Denmark's Poul-Erik Hoyer is the only non-Asian player to win a gold medal in Olympic badminton.
