Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue and Alex Lanier helped France conquer a peak that had not been climbed by any European country since 1977.
Denmark won three gold medals in the inaugural year of the BWF World Championships; since then, no European country has won more than one gold medal in a single edition.
It was a historic day for France, with Gicquel/Delrue defeating top seeds Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping in a superb tactical display to claim the country’s first gold medal, before Lanier imposed his physical strength and speed on Kodai Naraoka to become the first French singles player to win the title.
Korea matched France’s gold medal tally, with An Se Young taking her second title, and Lee So Hee / Baek Ha Na their first. Lee became the oldest winner of the women’s doubles title at the age of 32.
Gicquel/Delrue Begins Construction
Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue
Gicquel/Delrue’s achievement was Europe’s first gold medal in pairs doubles since 2009 – which coincidentally was also in India – when Danish pair Thomas Laybourn/Kamilla Rytter-Juhl won the mixed doubles.
Gicquel-Delrue completely took Huang out of play near the net, and even dared to flick serve towards Feng from time to time. It was the flick serve on match point that ultimately provided a historic moment.
“A lot of emotions, very, very happy and very proud to win the first gold medal for France,” Delrue said. “It was a great match, both pairs played really well, and we had to work hard to win. It was amazing to hear the national anthem on the podium for the first time.”
“We thought, it would be amazing to be between two Chinese flags,” Gicquel said. “When you are 10 years old, you don’t really think it can happen, and it’s actually very hard to believe it. This is very important for our country’s badminton.”
Alex Lanier has built a reputation as the strongest athlete in men’s singles. Whatever the measure of that reputation, the Frenchman’s superior speed and strength wore down Kodai Naraoka, who often had to fend off attacks. Lanier needed 50 minutes to close the final with a score of 21-11 21-11.
“I’m very proud of myself, and honored to see that flag fly,” Lanier said. “The whole team has worked hard. By doing my best and giving my best performance on the field, I also respect the flag and I am proud to see it flying.”
“I felt like I had a good feel, even with the fast shots from the side of the court. For me, the key is to be patient, but I also know that I have the ability to accelerate from time to time, and that’s the combination I need to use, playing in rallies and then changing pace. That hurt a lot for Kodai and gave me confidence that you play in rallies, and you may lose in rallies, but it’s a long-term investment. I really took advantage of that and it’s very important for me that physically I am able to fight hard. I really determined today.”
Article Tags: france, thom gicquel, kodai naraoka, delphine delrue, huang dong ping, feng yang zhe, bwf world championship
Published by Ligaolahraga.com at https://www.ligaolahraga.com/badminton/bwf-besar-bingung-dengan-prestasi-melejit-prancis-di-kejuaraan-dunia-2026