Ye Zhaoying

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.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ye.
Ye Zhaoying
叶钊颖
Personal information
CountryChina
Born (1974-05-07) 7 May 1974
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

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

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

Political views and controversy

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

Olympic Games

Women's singles

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

World Championships

Women's singles

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

World Cup

Women's singles

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

Asian Games

Women's singles

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

Asian Championships

Women's singles

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

Asian Cup

Women's singles

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

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

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

Women's singles

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

Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1997 Swiss Open China Han Jingna China Ge Fei
China Gu Jun		 15–9, 2–15, 11–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1995 Swedish Open China Han Jingna South Korea Kim Mee-hyang
South Korea Kim Shin-young		 15–12, 12–15, 8–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up

Record against selected opponents

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

References
  1. Castka, Richard (1 April 2009). "Ex-badminton star Ye in Open quest". SCMP. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  2. "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. 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.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.