1 week ago
French Badminton Reaches Two World Championship Finals Saturday
France had an unusually successful day in badminton.
Alex Lanier reached the men’s singles world final for the first time for a Frenchman.
Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue also reached the mixed doubles final.
Both French entries had to come back after losing the first game.
Lanier beat Canada’s Victor Lai in three games.
Gicquel and Delrue beat a Chinese pair in three games.
Their coach said the success came from careful training and long-term teamwork.
The players said French badminton is becoming stronger and more professional.
Alex Lanier became the first Frenchman to reach a World Championships men’s singles final.
Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue became the first French pair to reach a mixed doubles final.
Lanier defeated Canada’s Victor Lai 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 after losing the opening game.
Gicquel and Delrue overcame China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin 19-21, 21-13, 21-11.
France’s results reflect a long-term development plan and rising players including Christo and Toma Popov.
- Who
- Alex Lanier, Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, representing France; their semifinal opponents included Victor Lai and China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin.
- What
- Lanier reached the men’s singles final, while Gicquel and Delrue reached the mixed doubles final at the World Championships.
- Where
- The report is datelined New Delhi, but the competition venue is not specified.
- When
- Saturday, Aug. 2; the finals were scheduled for the following day.
- Why
- The results followed sustained training, long-term planning and broader development of French badminton.
Key facts
- Lanier’s ranking
- World No. 9
- Lanier’s semifinal
- Beat Victor Lai 16-21, 21-13, 21-14
- Mixed doubles semifinal
- Gicquel and Delrue beat Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin 19-21, 21-13, 21-11
- Gicquel-Delrue ranking
- World No. 5
- Mixed doubles final opponent
- China’s world No. 1 Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping
- Earlier French milestone
- Pi Hongyan won France’s first World Championships medal, a women’s singles bronze, in 2009
Quotes
Alex Lanier
French world No. 9 badminton player who reached the men’s singles final
“It is a little bit empty, a little bit tired. I’m a little bit too tired to understand how big it is, but I’m just focused on the next match tomorrow and let’s do it the right way.”
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Kęstutis Navickas
Alex Lanier’s coach
“I’m proud that we managed to show the tools that we developed in the training. I’m basically really proud that Alex has the mental toughness and ability to use the tools that we are working on. He showed a very big heart”
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Delphine Delrue
French mixed-doubles player and World Championships finalist
“I think we are getting more professional every year. We can feel that we have some big talents in France and now we have the system that can bring us to the top, I think.”
theprint.in
Sources
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