Badminton is one of the most popular sports in the world and has been part of the Olympic Games since 1992. While the sport has been around for centuries, it wasn’t until recently that it was included as an Olympic event. So who won the first badminton medal at the Olympic Games?
History of Badminton at the Olympics
Badminton has been an Olympic sport since the 1992 Barcelona Games. Prior to this, it was a demonstration sport in the 1972 Munich Olympics. The sport’s inclusion in the Olympic Games has helped to raise its profile and increase its popularity around the world.
The sport has grown to include five events – men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. While the men’s and women’s singles events have been part of the Olympic Games since 1992, the other events were not added until the 1996 Atlanta Games.
The First Medal Winners
The first badminton medal at the Olympic Games was won by Indonesia’s Susi Susanti and Alan Budi Kusuma in the women’s and men’s singles events, respectively, at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Susanti won the gold medal in the women’s singles event, beating Tang Jiuhong of China in the final. Alan Budi Kusuma won the bronze medal in the men’s singles event, losing to Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen of Denmark in the semifinal.
The first mixed doubles medal at the Olympic Games was won by Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Ge and Gu won the gold medal, beating Trikus Heryanto and Minarti Timur of Indonesia in the final.
The first doubles medal at the Olympic Games was won by China’s Ha Tae-kwon and Kim Shin-jo in the men’s doubles event at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Ha and Kim won the gold medal, beating Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky of Indonesia in the final.
The first women’s doubles medal at the Olympic Games was won by Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Ge and Gu won the gold medal, beating Eliza Nathanael and Rosiana Zelin of Indonesia in the final.
Conclusion
The first badminton medal at the Olympic Games was won by Susi Susanti and Alan Budi Kusuma of Indonesia in the women’s and men’s singles events, respectively, at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China also won the first medal in the mixed doubles event, while Ha Tae-kwon and Kim Shin-jo of China won the first medal in the men’s doubles event. Finally, Ge Fei and Gu Jun won the first medal in the women’s doubles event at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Badminton has become an increasingly popular Olympic sport, and the first medal winners will always remain a part of the sport’s history.