Zhang Ailing (badminton)

Zhang Ailing (Chinese: 张爱玲; pinyin: Zhāng Àilíng; born 1957) is a retired badminton player from China.

Zhang Ailing
张爱玲
Personal information
CountryChina
Born (1957-12-17) 17 December 1957 (age 66)
ResidencePerth, Australia
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  China
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1978 Bangkok Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 1978 Bangkok Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 1979 Hangzhou Women's team
Silver medal – second place 1979 Hangzhou Women's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Copenhagen Women's singles
World Games
Gold medal – first place 1981 Santa Clara Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 1981 Santa Clara Women's doubles
World Cup
Silver medal – second place 1983 Kuala Lumpur Women's singles
Uber Cup
Gold medal – first place 1984 Kuala Lumpur Women's team
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1978 Bangkok Women's team
Gold medal – first place 1978 Bangkok Mixed doubles
Gold medal – first place 1982 New Delhi Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 1982 New Delhi Women's team
Asian Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Hyderabad Women's doubles

Career

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In 1978 Zhang won women's singles at the rival "world championship" which was run by the short-lived World Badminton Federation prior to China's entry into the International Badminton Federation (now Badminton World Federation). She was the dominant international singles player when China joined the IBF in 1981, winning the multi-sport World Games in 1981, the Asian Games in 1982,[1] and the prestigious All-England Championships in both 1982 and 1983,[2] as well as a host of other significant titles. In the 1983 IBF World Championships, however, she was beaten in the semifinal by Chinese teammate Han Aiping[3] and after this result was unable to regain her previous dominance. Zhang played third singles on China's 1984 Uber Cup (women's international) team which won the team world championship.

Whether because Zhang, by then in her late twenties, could no longer beat her teammates Han and Li Lingwei, or because of her marriage to fellow Chinese player Chen Changjie, she disappeared from international badminton after the 1983-1984 season.

Achievements

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World Championships

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Women's singles
Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1978 Bangkok, Thailand   Sirisriro Patama 11–4, 11–4   Gold
1983 Brøndbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark   Han Aiping 7–11, 7–11   Bronze
Women's doubles
Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1978 Bangkok, Thailand   Li Fang   Zheng Huiming
  Qiu Yufang
5–15, 15–9, 15–10   Gold
1979 Hangzhou, China   Liu Xia   Sirisriro Patama
  Suleeporn Jittariyakul
10–15, 11–15   Silver

World Cup

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Women's singles
Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1983 Stadium Negara,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  Han Aiping 11–6, 5–11, 4–11   Silver

World Games

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Women's singles
Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1981 San Jose Civic Auditorium, California, United States   Hwang Sun-ai 7–11, 11–9, 12–9   Gold
Women's doubles
Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1981 San Jose Civic Auditorium, California, United States   Liu Xia   Jane Webster
  Nora Perry
11–15, 15–4, 15–8   Gold

Asian Games

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Women's singles
Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1982 Indraprastha Indoor Stadium,
New Delhi, India
  Li Lingwei 11–6, 11–8   Gold
Mixed doubles
Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1978 Bangkok,
Thailand
  Tang Xianhu   Hariamanto Kartono
  Theresia Widiastuti
15–8, 17–16   Gold

Asian Championships

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Women's doubles
Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1976 Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad,
India
  Liu Xia   Regina Masli
  Theresia Widiastuti
9–15, 8–15   Bronze

International tournaments

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

Women's singles
Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
1981 Scandinavian Cup   Lene Køppen 6–11, 11–12   Runner-up
1981 English Masters   Lene Køppen 11–6, 11–12, 11–6   Winner
1982 All England Open   Li Lingwei 11–4, 11–6   Winner
1983 All England Open   Wu Jianqiu 11–5, 10–12, 12–9   Winner
Women's doubles
Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1981 Scandinavian Cup   Liu Xia   Jane Webster
  Nora Perry
12–15, 9–15   Runner-up
1981 English Masters   Liu Xia   Gillian Gilks
  Yoshiko Yonekura
15–10, 3–15, 15–6   Winner
  IBF Grand Prix tournament

Invitational tournament

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Women's singles
Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
1978 Asian Invitational Championships   Liu Xia 2–11, 7–11   Silver

References

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  1. ^ Shirish Nadkarni, "China Stroll away with Star Honors", World Badminton, March 1983, 16-18.
  2. ^ Pat Davis, The Guinness Book of Badminton (Enfield, Middlesex, England: Guinness Superlatives Ltd., 1983) 106.
  3. ^ Hans Moller, "how Sugiarto and King created a dream final", World Badminton, June 1983, 14.