Leanne Choo

Leanne Choo (born 5 June 1991) is a badminton player from Australia. She is the reigning Oceania Champion in women's and mixed doubles. She represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics, alongside former women's doubles partner, Renuga Veeran. Choo was competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Leanne Choo
Personal information
Country Australia
Born (1991-06-05) 5 June 1991
Ashford, Adelaide, South Australia
ResidenceMelbourne, Victoria
Height1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight57 kg (126 lb)
HandednessLeft
Women's & mixed doubles
Highest ranking26
BWF profile

Personal

Leanne Choo, nicknamed Choo, was born in Adelaide, South Australia. She attended Glen Osmond Primary School and graduated from Glenunga International High School. In 2010, she enrolled at the University of Adelaide to pursue a degree in architecture and is now pursuing a degree in Neuroscience.[1][2]

Choo is a member of the Sturt Badminton Club, the largest badminton club in South Australia.[3]

Career

Early career – 2012

Choo started playing badminton when she was eight years old.[1] She rose to prominence as a junior, becoming the first South Australian to win a triple crown at a national event. Due to her ongoing success, she was made a member of the Australian National Team. As a member of the national team, she is based at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, in Melbourne, Victoria.[4]

Choo has represented Australia multiple times including at the 2006, 2007 and 2009 BWF World Junior Championships. She continued representing Australia at a junior level at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney and the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India. Her senior debut was at the 2010 Uber Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She also competed at the 2012 edition in Wuhan, China. Choo has also represented Australia at the World Mixed Team Championships, the Sudirman Cup in 2011 and 2015.[1]

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, Choo began her partnership with Renuga Veeran. The pair almost staged an upset in the quarterfinals against the number one seeds from Singapore, Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari. This was the first international tournament in which Choo and Veeran competed.[2][5] The duo officially formed their partnership soon afterwards.

Choo and Veeran competed at the 2011 BWF World Championships in London where they reached the second round. The pair demolished Steffi Annys and Severine Corvilain of Germany 21–6, 21–9 in the first round before losing to 10th seeds, and eventual bronze medalists of the 2012 Summer Olympics, Valeria Sorokina and Nina Vislova of Russia in three games.[6]

2012 Summer Olympics

Choo was part of Australia's badminton team contingent at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, her Olympic debut as a 21-year-old.[2][7][8][9] At the end of the Olympic qualifying period, Choo and Veeran were ranked 35th in the world. During the qualifying process, their ranking peaked at 26.[10] At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Choo and Veeran performed well in their round robin matches, thrashing their South African opponents and staying in contention with their Korean and Indonesian opponents, ranked world number three end eight respectively at the time. Unfortunately, they placed third in their pool and could not advance to the quarterfinals.

However, four pairs, including Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii of Indonesia, and Ha Jung Eun and Kim Min Jung of Korea, were disqualified from the competition. The pairings were disqualified for "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" as they were intentionally trying to lose matches in order to secure an easier quarterfinal draw.

Choo and Veeran advanced to the quarterfinals, where they were defeated by Alex Bruce and Michelle Li of Canada. They were awarded a 5th placing, the best result in Australia's history of Olympic badminton.[11][12]

Results from 2012 Summer Olympics

Round Date Opponent Score Result
Group C

Pool Match 1

28 July 2012 Meiliana Jauhari

Greysia Polii

21–0 21–0 (DSQ)

(11–21 21–19 14–21)

Win
Group C

Pool Match 2

29 July 2012 Michelle Claire Edwards

Annari Viljoen

21–9 21–7 Win
Group C

Pool Match 2

30 July 2012 Ha Jung Eun

Kim Min Jung

21–0 21–0 (DSQ)

(7–21 19–21)

Win
Quarterfinals 1 August 2012 Alex Bruce

Michelle Li

9–21 21–18 18–21 Loss

2014 – present

In April 2014, Choo formed her partnership with Robin Middleton in mixed doubles. In June 2016, the pair qualified for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.

Achievements

Oceania Championships

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2010 Stadium Southland,
Invercargill, New Zealand
Chia Chi Huang 7–21, 8–21 Bronze

Women's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 Eastlink Badminton Stadium,
Hamilton, New Zealand
Renuga Veeran Setyana Mapasa
Gronya Somerville
14–21, 20–22 Silver
2015 X-TRM North Harbour Badminton Centre,
North Harbour, New Zealand
Gronya Somerville Talia Saunders
Jennifer Tam
21–14, 21–11 Gold
2012 Ken Kay Badminton Stadium,
Victoria, Australia
Renuga Veeran Ann-Louise Slee
Eugenia Tanaka
21–16, 21–13 Gold
2010 Stadium Southland,
Invercargill, New Zealand
Kate Wilson-Smith Leisha Cooper
Ann-Louise Slee
22–20, 21–11 Gold

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 Eastlink Badminton Stadium,
Hamilton, New Zealand
Matthew Chau Sawan Serasinghe
Setyana Mapasa
19–21, 18–21 Silver
2016 Punaauia University Hall,
Papeete, Tahiti
Robin Middleton Anthony Joe
Joy Lai
21–11, 21–9 Gold
2015 X-TRM North Harbour Badminton Centre,
North Harbour, New Zealand
Robin Middleton Oliver Leydon-Davis
Danielle Tahuri
21–12, 21–14 Gold
2012 Ken Kay Badminton Stadium,
Victoria, Australia
Glenn Warfe Raymond Tam
Eugenia Tanaka
17–21, 19–21 Silver
2010 Stadium Southland,
Invercargill, New Zealand
Chad Whitehead Henry Tam
Donna Haliday
17–21, 24–22, 14–21 Bronze

BWF International Challenge/Series

Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 North Harbour International Renuga Veeran Sally Fu
Susannah Leydon-Davis
21–6, 21–12 Winner
2017 Yonex / K&D Graphics International Renuga Veeran Rachel Honderich
Kristen Tsai
12–21, 15–21 Runner-up
2017 Jamaica International Rachel Honderich Mikaylia Haldane
Katherine Wynter
21–2, 21–8 Winner
2014 Auckland International Gronya Somerville Chang Ching-hui
Chang Hsin-tien
11–6, 8–11, 10–11, 9–11 Runner-up
2014 Victorian International Renuga Veeran Keshya Nurvita Hanadia
Devi Tika Permatasari
13–21, 11–21 Runner-up
2011 Altona International Renuga Veeran Amanda Brown
Stephanie Cheng
22–20, 21–11 Winner
2010 Altona International Kate Wilson-Smith He Tian Tang
Renuga Veeran
15–21, 15–21 Runner-up
2010 Tahiti International Kate Wilson-Smith Nicole Grether
Charmaine Reid
21–12, 19–21, 21–12 Winner

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2015 Sydney International Robin Middleton Phillip Chew
Jamie Subandhi
21–8, 21–17 Winner
2015 Maribyrnong International Robin Middleton Sawan Serasinghe
Setyana Mapasa
17–21, 21–19, 21–19 Winner
2015 Sri Lanka International Robin Middleton Arun Vishnu
Aparna Balan
21–15, 17–21, 13–21 Runner-up
2011 Brazil International Glenn Warfe Halim Ho
Eva Lee
11–21, 15–21 Runner-up
2011 Altona International Glenn Warfe Kevin Dennerly-Minturn
Stephanie Cheng
22–20, 21–11 Winner
2010 Tahiti International Glenn Warfe Ross Smith
Kate Wilson-Smith
14–21, 21–13, 18–21 Runner-up
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

References

  1. "Badminton Australia: Leanne Choo". Badminton Australia. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  2. "London 2012 – Leanne Choo". London2012.olympics.com.au. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  3. "Elite members". Sturt Badminton Club Inc. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  4. "Badminton Australia: Athlete Profiles". Badminton.org.au. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  5. "tournamentsoftware.com – Commonwealth Games 2010 – General". www.tournamentsoftware.com. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  6. "tournamentsoftware.com – Yonex BWF World Championships 2011 – General". www.tournamentsoftware.com. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  7. "Australian Olympic badminton team named". Nine MSN. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  8. "Aussies name badminton line-up – ABC Grandstand Sport (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  9. "Bendigo's Warfe named in Olympic squad – Local News – Sport – Badminton". Bendigo Advertiser. Australian Associated Press. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  10. "London 2012 – Renuga Veeran". London2012.olympics.com.au. 20 June 1986. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  11. "2012 London Olympics – Eight badminton players disqualified for trying to lose matches". Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  12. "Aussies benefit from badminton tanking scandal". ABC Grandstand Sport. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
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