Zhao Yunlei: Yichang’s Badminton Ace

By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio

Zhao Yunlei is the most famous badminton player Yichang has ever produced.

Born in 1986, Zhao started badminton training when she was nine. A member of the Hubei badminton team in 1999, she went on to join the Chinese national badminton team in 2004, competing in both mixed and women's doubles.

Zhao has won multiple tournaments in both events. At the London 2012 Olympics, she won the mixed doubles championships with Zhang Nan and the women's doubles championships with Tian Qing, becoming the first and only badminton player to have ever won two gold medals at the same Olympics.

Zhao Yunlei (right) with Tian Qing at London 2012 Olympics after winning women’s doubles gold.

Her performances at the 2014 and 2015 BWF World Championships made her the first player to win two gold medals in succession at two consecutive BWF World Championships. 

Zhao Yunlei at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

With a win in the 2015 BWF World Championships mixed doubles, she and partner Zhang Nan had three World Championship mixed doubles titles, the first pairing to have accomplished this feat.

Zhao won titles in both the mixed and women's doubles at the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games, Asian Championships, and All England Open Championships, as well as the World Mixed Team Championships (Sudirman Cup), World Women's Team Championships (Uber Cup), Asian Games Women's Team gold medal, and Asia Women's Team Championships.

Zhao retired from international competition after the 2016 Rio Olympics and was inducted into the BWF Hall of Fame in 2022.