China hold world no 1 position all five badminton categories in latest BWF rankings

In a rare achievement, Chinese shuttlers now sit at the top of BWF rankings in all five divisions.

In an unprecedented achievement, China now simultaneously hold the world number one ranking in all five categories of badminton. The latest BWF rankings, released on October 8, confirmed China’s dominance across men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Out of the five categories, four are led by Olympic medallists.

China has long been a badminton powerhouse, but this marks the first time any country has held the top spot in all categories simultaneously. Their success story isn’t new—back in 2012 London Olympics, China made headlines by sweeping all five badminton gold medals, an unprecedented feat that no one has repeated since.

They didn’t just stop at gold, either, bringing home two silver and a bronze to cement their status at the top.

Yes, you read it right! China 🇨🇳 will have FIVE REPRESENTATIVES as WORLD NUMBER ONE at week 41 of 2024 🔥🔥 What an incredible achievement by them and their coaching team. Congratulations! 👏👏👏 #BadmintonEropa pic.twitter.com/hmSxxC6R2t

— Badminton Eropa (@badmintoneropa) October 5, 2024

In men’s singles, Shi Yu Qi has secured the top spot with 99,315 points from 17 tournaments, narrowly edging out two-time Olympic gold medalist, Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, who holds 93,790 points from 14 tournaments. Shi Yu Qi was also world number #1 at the time when he suffered a shock in the quarterfinals of the Olympics, losing to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who went on to win the Silver.

The women’s singles category saw a recent change, with Chen Yu Fei reclaiming the number one position from Paris Gold medallist, South Korea’s An Se Young. Chen now leads with 101,682 points from 14 tournaments, while An closely trails with 100,337 points from 12 tournaments.

Chen Yu Fei, who won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, had faced a defeat to compatriot He Bing Jao in the quarterfinals in Paris.

China’s dominance extends to the doubles categories as well. In men’s doubles, the Paris silver medallist pair of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang top the rankings with 96,798 points from 14 tournaments, outperforming Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, who have accumulated 91,753 points over 20 tournaments.

In women’s doubles, the Paris Olympics gold medal-winning duo of Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan continue to reign supreme. With 109,806 points from 14 tournaments, they hold a commanding lead over South Korea’s Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee, who trail with 100,916 points from 16 tournaments.

China’s grip on the mixed doubles category is equally strong, with Paris gold medallists Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong leading the rankings at 106,850 points from 13 tournaments, followed closely by their compatriots Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping, who have 99,100 points from 16 tournaments.

China’s success in badminton can be attributed to its robust sports system and long-term planning. The country has invested heavily in identifying and nurturing young talent, with specialized badminton schools and training centers across the nation.

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