Yang Yang (badminton)

Yang Yang (simplified Chinese: 杨阳; traditional Chinese: 楊陽; born December 8, 1963 in Nanjing, Jiangsu) is a former Chinese badminton player.

Yang Yang
Personal information
Country China
Born (1963-12-08) December 8, 1963
Nanjing, Jiangsu
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
HandednessLeft
Men's singles
Highest ranking1
Medal record
Representing  China
Men'sbadminton
World Championships
1987 BeijingMen's Singles
1989 JakartaMen's Singles
1985 CalgaryMen's Singles
World Cup
1988 BangkokMen's singles
1989 GuangzhouMen's singles
1984 JakartaMen's singles
1987 Kuala LumpurMen's singles
1985 JakartaMen's singles
1986 JakartaMen's singles
1990 JakartaMen's singles
Asian Games
1990 BeijingTeam
1986 SeoulMen's Singles
1986 SeoulTeam
1990 BeijingMen's Singles
Thomas Cup
1986 JakartaTeam
1988 Kuala LumpurTeam
1990 TokyoTeam
1984 Kuala LumpurTeam
Asian Championships
1985 Kuala Lumpur Men's team
1985 Kuala Lumpur Men's singles

He is one of the four badminton players in the world to have won two World Badminton Championships men's singles titles consecutively (1987, 1989), the others being Lin Dan, Chen Long and Kento Momota. He also won the men's singles gold medal when badminton was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He possessed great agility, quick footwork, accurate power, and coolness under pressure, and is widely regarded as one of the finest singles players in the history of the sport.

Career

Yang began training in 1975, when he was 12 years old. He was recruited by the Chinese national team in 1983. He won his first Chinese national championship title in 1984. In 1985, he won the Hong Kong Open by defeating Morten Frost. In 1986, he won the Japan Open and the Hong Kong Open for the second straight year, and also helped China to regain the Thomas Cup (men's world team championship) from Indonesia by winning key matches. In the late 80s he dominated international singles play, winning the World Championships over Morten Frost in 1987 and over young Ardy Wiranata in 1989. In 1988 he also won the Olympic exhibition event in Seoul (badminton became an official Olympic sport at the next games in Barcelona). In 1989 he added the venerable All-England Championships to his tally; thus, by twenty-five, he captured all the titles by which "greatness" in the sport is generally measured.

China's Golden Generation

As a member of China's golden badminton generation of the 1980s which included the almost equally brilliant singles stars Zhao Jianhua and Xiong Guobao, Yang Yang played an important role in making China the major world badminton superpower. His play was instrumental in China's consecutive Thomas Cup (men's world team) titles in 1986, 1988, and 1990.

Retirement

In 1991, he retired as a player and started coaching in Malaysia. In the very next year, he guided Malaysia to its first Thomas Cup victory in 25 years, the only occasion since 1967 in which neither Indonesia nor China has won the cup. He then stayed in Malaysia to develop his business for badminton equipment. He returned to China in year 2000, and opened a badminton club named after himself in Nanjing.

Achievements

Olympic Games (exhibition)

Men's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1988 Seoul National University Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea Icuk Sugiarto 15–4, 15–10 Gold

World Championships

Men's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1985 Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, Canada Morten Frost 8–15, 5–15 Bronze
1987 Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China Morten Frost 15–2, 13–15, 15–12 Gold
1989 Senayan Sports Complex, Jakarta, Indonesia Ardy Wiranata 15–10, 2–15, 15–5 Gold

World Cup

Men's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1984 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Han Jian 12–15, 10–15 Silver
1985 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Morten Frost 15–12, 14–17, 10–15 Bronze
1986 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Morten Frost 9–15, 1–15 Bronze
1987 Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Zhao Jianhua 15–6, 2–15, 12–15 Silver
1988 National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand Zhao Jianhua 15–5, 15–6 Gold
1989 Guangzhou Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China Foo Kok Keong 17–14, 15–6 Gold
1990 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Wu Wenkai 12–15, 9–15 Bronze

Asian Games

Men's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1986 Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea Zhao Jianhua 9–15, 16–17 Silver
1990 Beijing Gymnasium, Beijing, China Zhao Jianhua 10–15, 11–15 Silver

Asian Championships

Men's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1985 Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Zhao Jianhua 10-15, 15–5, 6–15 Silver

IBF World Grand Prix

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006.

Men's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
1985 Hong Kong Open Morten Frost 15–10, 15–11 Winner
1986 Japan Open Ib Frederiksen 5–15, 15–6, 15–8 Winner
1986 Hong Kong Open Icuk Sugiarto 6–15, 15–8, 15–6 Winner
1986 World Grand Prix Finals Morten Frost 18–13, 15–8 Winner
1987 Scandinavian Open Icuk Sugiarto Walkover Winner
1987 Malaysia Open Steen Fladberg 4–15, 15–10, 15–7 Winner
1987 Indonesia Open Eddy Kurniawan 15–6, 15–8 Winner
1988 Hong Kong Open Icuk Sugiarto 15–7, 1–15, 11–15 Runner-up
1989 Japan Open Foo Kok Keong 15–2, 15–10 Winner
1989 All England Open Morten Frost 15–6, 15–7 Winner

Sources
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