### The Olympic History of Badminton: From Debut to Dominance
Conor Hudson
Sun Jul 28 2024
When badminton was first introduced as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Munich Olympics, many believed it would quickly become an Olympic sport. However, the tragic terrorist attack at the Olympic Village that year shifted focus away from the sport. It wasn't until the 1992 Barcelona Olympics that badminton finally shined on the Olympic stage. As the badminton community eagerly awaits the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics, here is a concise overview of the sport's Olympic journey.
- **1972:** Badminton debuted as a demonstration sport at the Munich Olympics, featuring 25 athletes from 11 countries. The event took place on a single day, September 4, 1972. Winners included Rudy Hartono (men's singles), Noriko Nakayama (women's singles), Ade Chandra/Christian Hadinata (men's doubles), and Derek Talbot/Gillian Gilks (mixed doubles). There was no women's doubles event.
- **1982:** IBF President Craig Reedie attended an IOC session in Rome, advocating for badminton's inclusion in the Olympics. He met with IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch separately and invited him to the next IBF World Championships.
- **1983:** IOC President Samaranch witnessed the IBF World Championships in Copenhagen and was impressed by the sport's presentation and quality of play. He acknowledged badminton's merit for Olympic inclusion.
- **1985:** At an IOC session in East Berlin, badminton was approved for the 1992 Olympics. Shortly after, at the IBF World Championships in Calgary, the Olympic flag was handed over to IBF.
- **1988:** Badminton was part of the demonstration sports at the Seoul Olympics.
- **1992:** Badminton officially debuted at the Barcelona Olympics with four events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. The first match featured Foo Kok Keong of Malaysia against Hans Sperre of Norway, with the shuttlecock from the first rally displayed at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.
- **1996:** Mixed doubles was added to the Olympic program in Atlanta, with titles shared among Denmark, South Korea, Indonesia, and China.
- **2000:** At the Sydney Olympics, Ge Fei/Gu Jun won the women's doubles title, becoming two-time Olympic champions in badminton. China asserted dominance with four gold medals, while Indonesia's tradition in men's doubles remained unbroken.
- **2004:** Zhang Jun/Gao Ling of China defended the mixed doubles title. Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat and China's Zhang Ning claimed the singles victories.
- **2008:** The Beijing Olympics introduced the 21x3 scoring system. Zhang Ning retained her singles gold. China excelled with three gold medals, while Indonesia and South Korea secured gold in men's doubles and mixed doubles, respectively.
- **2012:** BWF faced tough decisions, excluding four pairs for lack of effort in the group stage. Lin Dan defended his men's singles crown, and Zhao Yunlei achieved a unique double. China dominated with five gold medals.
- **2016:** The competitive landscape expanded as more nations won multiple medals across events. Carolina Marin made European history with the women's singles gold, while Japan secured their first gold through Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi.
- **2021:** The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics successfully took place amidst COVID-19 concerns. Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin made history for Chinese Taipei with the men's doubles gold, and Greysia Polii/Apriyani Rahayu secured Indonesia's first women's doubles gold.
From its humble beginnings as a demonstration sport to becoming a powerhouse in the Olympic arena, badminton's journey is a testament to the sport's evolution and global reach. As the Paris 2024 Olympics approach, the anticipation for new milestones and achievements in badminton only grows.