Wikipedia

Ye Zhaoying

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ye.

Ye Zhaoying (simplified Chinese: 叶钊颖; traditional Chinese: 葉釗穎; pinyin: Yè Zhāoyǐng; born 7 May 1974) is a retired badminton player from Hangzhou, China.[1] Officially ranked as the number one women's singles player in the world for the first time in December 1995, she lost and regained that ranking several times during her career. Her best years as a player overlapped those of the slightly older Susi Susanti and Bang Soo-hyun, in what some see as a "golden" era in women's badminton.

Ye Zhaoying
叶钊颖
Personal information
CountryChina
Born (1974-05-07) 7 May 1974 (age 49)
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
HandednessRight
Women's singles
Highest ranking1
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  China
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney Women's singles
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1997 Glasgow Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 1995 Lausanne Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Birmingham Women's singles
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1995 Jakarta Women's singles
Silver medal – second place 1997 Yogyakarta Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1993 New Delhi Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Ho Chi Minh Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Jakarta Women's singles
Sudirman Cup
Gold medal – first place 1997 Glasgow Mixed team
Gold medal – first place 1995 Lausanne Mixed team
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Birmingham Mixed team
Uber Cup
Gold medal – first place 2000 Kuala Lumpur Women's team
Gold medal – first place 1998 Hong Kong Women's team
Gold medal – first place 1992 Kuala Lumpur Women's team
Silver medal – second place 1996 Hong Kong Women's team
Silver medal – second place 1994 Jakarta Women's team
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1998 Bangkok Women's team
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Hiroshima Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Hiroshima Women's team
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 Kuala Lumpur Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 1998 Bangkok Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 1995 Beijing Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 1994 Shanghai Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 1992 Kuala Lumpur Women's singles
Asian Cup
Gold medal – first place 1994 Beijing Women's singles

She retired after the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and in 2002, she started a new career as a golfer, trained at the Tian An Golf Club.[1] She married former Chinese footballer and top-scoring striker Hao Haidong in summer 2019.[2]

Career edit

Her main achievements include winning the World Grand Prix Finals in 1995, 1997 and 1999, the IBF World Championships in 1995 and 1997, and the IBF World Cup in 1995. She played on Chinese teams that won the Uber Cup in 1992, 1998 and 2000 and the Sudirman Cup in 1995 and 1997. She won the prestigious All-England title in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Her other titles include: Asian Badminton Championships in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999; Japan Open in 1993, 1996, 1999; Indonesia Open in 1992, 1993; Denmark Open in 1993; Hong Kong Open in 1993; Asian Cup of badminton in 1994; China Open in 1995; Swedish Open in 1995; US Open in 1995; Singapore Open in 1992, 1998, 1999; Thailand Open in 2000 . She was a member of the Chinese Women's Badminton Team that won the Asian Games in 1998. In addition, she earned a bronze medal in the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, having been upset in the quarterfinals of the '96 Games in Atlanta. Ye Zhaoying was elected to the World Badminton Hall of Fame in 2009.

Personal life edit

Ye married former top footballer Hao Haidong in summer 2019.[2]

Political views and controversy edit

On the 31st anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in 2020, Hao uploaded a video calling for the overthrow of the Chinese Communist Party.[3] Afterwards the couple's Weibo accounts were deleted; their online profiles on major portals in China – Sina Sports, Tencent Sport and Baidu – have also been deleted. They moved to Spain, living in exile.[2]

Two years later, in an interview with TV 2 Sport with Camilla Martin, Ye stated that the Chinese coaches ordered her to lose in the semi-final match at the 2000 Olympics, in order for her teammate, Gong Zhichao to win the title for China, as she was thought to be able to defeat Martin in the final. She ended up losing in 2 sets to Gong in the semi-final, and went on to win the bronze medal after defeating Dai Yun in the playoff. In the interview, Ye strongly criticized the Chinese system for doing so, and stated that if she had won the match in the semi-final and lost in the final, "all of China" would have considered her a "traitor", adding on that her previous victories would have been "meaningless", had she not won the gold for China.[4]

In response, the Chinese embassy in Denmark issued a statement, stating that "She (Ye Zhaoying) has always been anti-China. Her statements don't deserve a response."[4]

After the entire incident in 2020, family and friends have turned their backs on Hao and Ye, and that they have been blocked by their former teammates on Chinese social messaging platform WeChat.[4]

Achievements edit

Olympic Games edit

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2000 The Dome, Sydney, Australia   Dai Yun 8–11, 11–2, 11–6   Bronze

World Championships edit

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1997 Scotstoun Centre, Glasgow, Scotland   Gong Zhichao 12–11, 11–8   Gold
1995 Malley Sports Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland   Han Jingna 11–7, 11–0   Gold
1993 National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England   Susi Susanti 10–12, 10–12   Bronze

World Cup edit

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1997 Among Rogo Sports Hall, Yogyakarta, Indonesia   Susi Susanti 8–11, 5–11   Silver
1996 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia   Susi Susanti 2–11, 11–9, 2–11   Bronze
1995 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia   Susi Susanti 12–9, 2–11, 12–9   Gold
1994 Phan Dinh Phung Indoor Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam   Bang Soo-hyun 2–11, 4–11   Bronze
1993 Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi, India   Lim Xiaoqing 2–11, 11–2, 6–11   Bronze

Asian Games edit

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1994 Tsuru Memorial Gymnasium, Hiroshima, Japan   Bang Soo Hyun 12–10, 8–11, 3–11   Bronze

Asian Championships edit

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1999 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia   Zhang Ning 11–8, 11–5   Gold
1998 Bangkok, Thailand   Gong Zhichao 11–5, 13–12   Gold
1995 Beijing, China   Yao Yan 11–2, 11–0   Gold
1994 Shanghai Gymnasium, Shanghai, China   Liu Yuhong 11–4, 12–10   Gold
1992 Cheras Indoor Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia   Zhou Lei 12–10, 11–2   Gold

Asian Cup edit

Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1994 Beijing, China   Han Jingna 11–6, 9–12, 11–3   Gold

IBF World Grand Prix (21 titles, 21 runners-up) edit

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) since 1983.

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2000 Thailand Open   Zhou Mi 11–5, 11–0   Winner
2000 Japan Open   Gong Zhichao 7–11, 3–11   Runner-up
1999 Grand Prix Finals   Dai Yun 11–4, 6–11, 11–9   Winner
1999 Singapore Open   Gong Zhichao 11–5, 5–11, 11–7   Winner
1999 Japan Open   Gong Zhichao 1–11, 11–5, 11–6   Winner
1999 All England Open   Dai Yun 9–11, 11–5, 11–1   Winner
1998 Denmark Open   Camilla Martin 10–13, 8–11   Runner-up
1998 Singapore Open   Susi Susanti 11–5, 6–11, 11–2   Winner
1998 Swiss Open   Camilla Martin 9–12, 8–11   Runner-up
1998 All England Open   Zhang Ning 11–5, 11–8   Winner
1998 Japan Open   Gong Zhichao 1–11, 4–11   Runner-up
1997 Grand Prix Finals   Susi Susanti 11–4, 11–4   Winner
1997 Malaysia Open   Susi Susanti 5–11, 7–11   Runner-up
1997 Swiss Open   Camilla Martin 12–9, 6–11, 5–11   Runner-up
1997 All England Open   Gong Zhichao 11–3, 11–1   Winner
1997 Korea Open   Gong Zhichao 6–11, 12–10, 11–4   Winner
1996 Grand Prix Finals   Susi Susanti 4–11, 1–11   Runner-up
1996 All England Open   Bang Soo-hyun 1–11, 1–11   Runner-up
1996 Japan Open   Susi Susanti 11–7, 11–8   Winner
1996 Chinese Taipei Open   Susi Susanti 5–11, 2–11   Runner-up
1995 Grand Prix Finals   Lim Xiaoqing 12–10, 8–11, 11–8   Winner
1995 China Open   Bang Soo-hyun 11–5, 11–0   Winner
1995 U.S. Open   Bang Soo-hyun 12–10, 3–11, 11–8   Winner
1995 Swedish Open   Lim Xiaoqing 11–6, 11–6   Winner
1994 Grand Prix Finals   Susi Susanti 11–4, 10–12, 4–11   Runner-up
1994 China Open   Bang Soo-hyun 8–11, 8–11   Runner-up
1994 Malaysia Open   Susi Susanti 3–11, 8–11   Runner-up
1994 All England Open   Susi Susanti 5–11, 9–11   Runner-up
1994 Japan Open   Susi Susanti 6–11, 12–10, 8–11   Runner-up
1993 Grand Prix Finals   Susi Susanti 3–11, 9–12   Runner-up
1993 Hong Kong Open   Han Jingna 10–12, 11–7, 11–1   Winner
1993 China Open   Han Jingna 10–12, 1–11   Runner-up
1993 Denmark Open   Liu Yuhong 11–8, 11–1   Winner
1993 German Open   Susi Susanti 6–11, 8–11   Runner-up
1993 Indonesia Open   Susi Susanti 11–9, 12–11   Winner
1993 French Open   Yao Yan 7–11, 11–5, 5–11   Runner-up
1993 Japan Open   Bang Soo-hyun 11–6, 11–5   Winner
1992 Singapore Open   Han Jingna 8–11, 11–2, 11–3   Winner
1992 Indonesia Open   Sarwendah Kusumawardhani 11–7, 11–6   Winner
1992 Japan Open   Susi Susanti 2–11, 0–11   Runner-up

Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1997 Swiss Open   Han Jingna   Ge Fei
  Gu Jun 		15–9, 2–15, 11–15   Runner-up
1995 Swedish Open   Han Jingna   Kim Mee-hyang
  Kim Shin-young 		15–12, 12–15, 8–15   Runner-up

Record against selected opponents edit

Record against year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Castka, Richard (1 April 2009). "Ex-badminton star Ye in Open quest". SCMP. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Chinese sports couple who denounced Communist Party may disappear from record books". South China Morning Post. 5 June 2020.
  3. ^ Yew, Lun Tian (4 June 2020). "Retired China soccer star calls for ouster of Communist Party". Reuters. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Petersen, Jacob Qvirin (27 August 2022). "Former world champion reveals that she was ordered to lose Olympic semi-final - TV 2". TV 2 Sport (in Danish). Retrieved 27 August 2022.

External links edit

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