Chloe Noelle Magee (born 29 November 1988) is an Irish professional badminton player. She represented her country at the Olympic Games for three consecutive times in 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio de Janeiro.[2] At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, she became the first Irish woman to win a badminton match at the Olympics. She has been described as "the poster girl for Irish badminton".[3] Together with her brother Sam Magee, she clinched a bronze medal at the 2017 European Championships, became Ireland's first medal at the European Badminton Championship.[4] The duo also captured the bronze medals at the 2015 and 2019 European Games.[5][6]

Chloe Magee
Chloe and Sam Magee after winning the 2018 Irish Open
Personal information
Birth nameChloe Noelle Magee
CountryIreland
Born (1988-11-29) 29 November 1988 (age 35)
Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight60 kg (132 lb)[1]
HandednessRight
CoachDaniel Magee
Women's singles & doubles
Tournaments played2008 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
2016 Summer Olympics
Highest ranking32 (WS 22 May 2014)
59 (WD with Bing Huang 21 January 2010)
21 (XD with Sam Magee 6 August 2015)
Current ranking37 (XD with Sam Magee 3 May 2022)
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  Ireland
European Games
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Baku Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Minsk Mixed doubles
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Kolding Mixed doubles
BWF profile

Career edit

2007 edit

In 2007, Magee won the women's doubles title at the Irish International Championships in Lisburn. Competing alongside Bing Huang, the pair beat second seeds Eva Lee and Mesinee Mangkalakiri of the United States 21–15, 9–21, 21–11 in the final.[7]

2008 Summer Olympics edit

Magee competed for Ireland at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China at the age of 19. She became the first ever Irish woman to win a badminton match at the Olympics,[8] beating Estonian Kati Tolmoff by a score of 18–21, 21–18, 21–19 in the first round of the women's singles. She was eliminated after losing her second round match 12–21, 14–21 to world number eleven Jun Jae-youn of South Korea.[9] "I have loads to improve on and I will take away a lot from this," Magee said after the match.[8]

2009 edit

In 2009, Magee competed at the World Championships in Hyderabad, India, losing in the first round to Japanese number two Ai Goto by a score of 21–13, 21–9.[10]

2012 Summer Olympics edit

Magee, ranked 44th in the world, qualified for the women's singles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London as the 26 ranked player on the list of participants. She was one of two Irish badminton players at the Games; Scott Evans competed in the men's singles.[11] Magee and her brother Sam, ranked 40th in the world as a pairing, were third reserves for the mixed doubles event.[12]

In July 2012, Magee reached the final of the White Nights pre-Olympic tournament held in Russia. She beat Slovakian Monika Fasungova, 21–17, 20–22, 21–5, in the quarter-finals and Russia's Romina Gabdullina, 21–15, 17–21, 21–15, in the semi-finals but finished runner-up after losing to Poland's Kamila Augustyn, 21–19, 14–21, 14–21, despite having a 10–6 lead in the final set.[13]

A slight schedule change led to Magee starting her 2012 Olympic campaign against Egypt's Hadia Hosny at 20.17 (29 July) and France's Hongyan Pi at 20.32 (30 July).[14]

Bill O'Herlihy sparked controversy while covering Chloe Magee's progress at the 2012 Summer Olympics by suggesting badminton was "a mainly Protestant sport". RTÉ confirmed it received complaints about O'Herlihy's sectarian remarks on live television. The remarks prompted Magee to inform Highland Radio: "We need to remember what the Olympics is all about. I don't think it is any different from any other sport. There are people here from all over the world and from many different religions."[15]

She lost 16–21, 21–18, 21–14, to Hongyan Pi and exited the 2012 Summer Olympics.[16]

In December 2012, Magee reached the final of the Turkish Open.[17]

2016 Summer Olympics edit

In Rio,she lost the game to Chinese player Wang Yihan in Group P 7-21 and 12–21 and to Karin Schnaase by 14–21 and 19–21, placing third in her group.[18][19]

Achievements edit

European Games edit

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2015 Baku Sports Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan   Sam Magee   Gaëtan Mittelheisser
  Audrey Fontaine
12–21, 21–23   Bronze
2019 Falcon Club, Minsk, Belarus   Sam Magee   Chris Adcock
  Gabby Adcock
8–21, 18–21   Bronze

European Championships edit

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2017 Sydbank Arena, Kolding, Denmark   Sam Magee   Joachim Fischer Nielsen
  Christinna Pedersen
14–21, 10–21   Bronze

BWF Grand Prix edit

The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2008 U.S. Open   Lili Zhou 21–23, 16–21   Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2014 Brasil Open   Sam Magee   Max Schwenger
  Carla Nelte
11–10, 11–10, 10–11, 8–11, 7–11   Runner-up
  BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
  BWF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series edit

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2010 Dutch International   Karina Jørgensen 22–20, 14–21, 12–21   Runner-up
2010 Bulgarian International   Petya Nedelcheva 17–21, 13–21   Runner-up
2011 Lithuanian International   Ragna Ingólfsdóttir 21–11, 23–21   Winner
2011 Norwegian International   Linda Zetchiri 19–21, 14–21   Runner-up
2012 White Nights   Kamila Augustyn 21–19, 14–21, 14–21   Runner-up
2012 Irish International   Line Kjærsfeldt 21–23, 21–18, 18–21   Runner-up
2012 Turkey International   Sashina Vignes Waran 21–18, 23–21   Winner
2014 Hellas International   Linda Zetchiri 13–21, 13–21   Runner-up

Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2007 North Shore City International   Bing Huang   Catherine Moody
  Lê Ngọc Nguyên Nhung
21–15, 16–21, 21–15   Winner
2007 Welsh International   Bing Huang   Sarah Walker
  Samantha Ward
21–11, 21–14   Winner
2007 Irish International   Bing Huang   Mesinee Mangkalakiri
  Eva Lee
21–15, 9–21, 21–11   Winner
2008 Slovak Open   Bing Huang   Anna Narel
  Natalia Pocztowiak
21–8, 21–13   Winner

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2010 Spanish Open   Sam Magee   Peter Käsbauer
  Johanna Goliszewski
21–11, 21–9   Winner
2011 Banuinvest International   Sam Magee   Roman Zirnwald
  Elisabeth Baldauf
21–12, 18–21, 21–18   Winner
2011 Lithuanian International   Sam Magee   Wojciech Szkudlarczyk
  Agnieszka Wojtkowska
21–9, 15–21, 21–19   Winner
2011 Norwegian International   Sam Magee   Rasmus Bonde
  Maria Helsbøl
21–17, 21–16   Winner
2012 Turkey International   Sam Magee   Fabian Roth
  Jennifer Karnott
21–10, 21–14   Winner
2013 Dutch International   Sam Magee   Michael Fuchs
  Birgit Michels
14–21, 21–18, 17–21   Runner-up
2014 Hellas International   Sam Magee   Blagovest Kisyov
  Dimitria Popstoikova
21–14, 21–10   Winner
2015 White Nights   Sam Magee   Robert Mateusiak
  Nadieżda Zięba
21–18, 21–17   Winner
2017 Spanish International   Sam Magee   Robin Tabeling
  Cheryl Seinen
21–11, 21–18   Winner
2017 Irish Open   Sam Magee   Gregory Mairs
  Jenny Moore
16–21, 13–21   Runner-up
2018 Irish Open   Sam Magee   Harley Towler
  Emily Westwood
21–13, 21–12   Winner
2019 White Nights   Sam Magee   Rodion Alimov
  Alina Davletova
16–21, 21–13, 16–21   Runner-up
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Athlete: Magee Chloe". Minsk 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Chloe Magee". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  3. ^ Foley, Cliona (28 July 2012). "Badminton: Second bite at cherry to taste sweeter for driven Magee". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  4. ^ Foley, Cliona (28 April 2017). "Chloe and Sam Magee: Sister and brother win Ireland's first European badminton medal". BBC. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Disappointed Chloe and Sam Magee settle for bronze in mixed doubles". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Chloe & Sam Magee seal another Irish medal at European Games". RTÉ.ie. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Magee and Bing clinch Irish title". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  8. ^ a b "Donegal Olympian's exit 2008 Beijing games". Donegal Democrat. 12 August 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Chambers through but Magee loses". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 August 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  10. ^ "Magee out after defeat in India". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  11. ^ Naughton, Lindie (16 June 2012). "Badminton aces Magee and Evans set for Olympics". Evening Herald. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  12. ^ "Magee qualifies for singles badminton at London Games". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  13. ^ "Chloe Magee beaten in final at Russian tournament". BBC Sport. BBC. 8 July 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Ireland's Chloe Magee will have to wait for opening badminton contest". Irish Independent. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  15. ^ Maguire, Stephen (31 July 2012). "Magee bats off O'Herlihy 'Protestant' comment". The Irish Times. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  16. ^ "Olympics badminton: Ireland's Chloe Magee out of singles". BBC Sport. BBC. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  17. ^ "Chloe Magee progresses to the Turkish Open final". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  18. ^ "Rio 2016: Chloe Magee loses opening match". The Irish Times. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  19. ^ "Chloe Magee's hopes end after defeat to Karin Schnaase". RTÉ. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2017.

External links edit