The Olympics are the pinnacle of the sport, with many athletes representing their countries in various sports. Badminton is one of the sports played in the Summer Olympics, where the top-ranked shuttlers qualify to win the medals.
The racket sport has been part of the Summer Olympics since 1992, and many legendary shuttlers have participated since then. But only a few have managed to win the medal more than three times across disciplines.
In this article, we’ll look at the nine badminton players who have won the most medals in the Summer Olympics.
9. Lee Chong Wei | Malaysia
Medals: 3 Silver
Lee Chong Wei is a former shuttler from Malaysia. He participated in four consecutive Olympics between 2004 and 2016.
Lee reached the finals in 2008, 2012, and 2016, but settled on a silver medal all three times. He is also the only badminton player to clinch the silver three consecutive times.
8. Gil Young-ah | South Korea
Medals: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze
The former South Korean shuttler won three Olympic medals in two appearances. Gil Young-ah first claimed the bronze in the 1992 edition in the women’s doubles category.
She returned to the games in 1996, changing the colour of her women’s doubles category to silver while bagging a gold in mixed doubles.
7. Chen Long | China
Medals: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze
Known as ‘the Great Wall of China’, thanks to his solid defence, Chen Long grabbed three medals in the Olympics. He made his debut in the 2012 London Olympics and returned with a bronze.
In the 2016 edition, Long defeated Lee in the final to win the gold medal. In his last games in 2020, he finished with a silver.
6. Viktor Axelsen | Denmark
Medals: 2 Gold and 1 Bronze
Viktor Axelsen is the latest entrant on this elite list. The Danish shuttler is among the modern-day badminton greats, having won three medals in the Olympics.
The powerful smasher qualified for the Olympics for the first time in 2016 and won the bronze medal. In his next two outings in 2020 and 2024, Axelsen finished at the top of the podium, winning successive gold medals.
5. Kim Dong-moon | South Korea
Medals: 2 Gold and 1 Bronze
Another South Korean shuttler to win three medals. Considered South Korea’s best men’s doubles player, Kim Dong-moon won medals in three back-to-back Olympics.
Dong-moon clinched consecutive gold medals in 1996 and 2000 while bagging a bronze in 2004.
4. Zhao Yunlei | China
Medals: 2 Gold and 1 Bronze
Zhao Yunlei is one of the five Chinese shuttlers who have three or more medals in the Olympics. She featured in two editions in 2012 and 2016.
In her maiden appearance, Yunlei claimed gold medals in mixed and women’s doubles categories, respectively. In 2016, she settled on a bronze in the mixed doubles.
3. Zhang Nan | China
Medals: 2 Gold and 1 Bronze
Yunlei’s 2016 mixed doubles partner Zhang Nan also found success in the doubles discipline. He won two medals in mixed doubles and one in men’s doubles.
Nan bagged the gold in 2012 and the bronze in 2016 in the mixed doubles. In 2016, he also topped the podium in men’s doubles.
2. Fu Haifeng | China
Medals: 2 Gold and 1 Silver
Fu Haifeng was the partner of Zhang Nan in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he won his second gold. Before that, the powerful shuttler added a silver in 2008 in the men’s doubles category.
Four years later, Haifeng got his hands on the gold in the same category with his partner Cai Yun.
1. Gao Ling | China
Medals: 2 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze
Gao Ling is the only badminton player to win four medals in the Summer Olympics. The Chinese shuttler showcased her consistency at the games in mixed and women’s doubles categories.
She appeared in three Olympics between 2000 and 2008, winning two golds, one silver, and one bronze. In her first appearance, Ling won the gold in mixed doubles and the bronze in women’s doubles.
In 2004, she returned with gold and silver in mixed and women’s doubles categories, respectively.
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