Badminton at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
Badminton
had its debut as an official medal sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics
. It was held from 28 July to 4 August 1992. Four events were held in the first competition of the sport: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. Badminton was contested in the Pavelló de la Mar Bella
. 36 nations entered competitors, with a total of 177 entrants. Asia
n nations won fifteen of the sixteen medals, with their dominance being broken only by Denmark
's bronze medal
in the men's singles.
The tournament was single-elimination
. Matches consisted of three sets, with sets being to 15 except in women's singles, where sets were to 11. No playoffs were contested for semi-final losers, meaning that two bronze medals were awarded in each event. Similarly, all four players/pairs defeated in the quarterfinals for each event were awarded fifth place. Men's Singles and Women's Singles champions (Alan Budikusuma
and Susi Susanti) are now married to each other.
of Denmark
. 57 players from 32 nations competed in men's singles.
for Indonesia
, which before had only won one silver (in archery
). 52 players from 27 nations competed in women's singles.
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
had its debut as an official medal sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
. It was held from 28 July to 4 August 1992. Four events were held in the first competition of the sport: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. Badminton was contested in the Pavelló de la Mar Bella
Pavelló de la Mar Bella
The Pavelló de la Mar Bella is an indoor arena located in Barcelona, Catalonia. Seating 4000, it hosted the badminton events for 1992 Summer Olympics.This venue was completed in time for the 1992 Games.-Reference:* Volume 2. pp. 259-62....
. 36 nations entered competitors, with a total of 177 entrants. Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n nations won fifteen of the sixteen medals, with their dominance being broken only by Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
's bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the men's singles.
The tournament was single-elimination
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
. Matches consisted of three sets, with sets being to 15 except in women's singles, where sets were to 11. No playoffs were contested for semi-final losers, meaning that two bronze medals were awarded in each event. Similarly, all four players/pairs defeated in the quarterfinals for each event were awarded fifth place. Men's Singles and Women's Singles champions (Alan Budikusuma
Alan Budikusuma
Alan Budikusuma is a former Chinese Indonesian badminton player who excelled at the world level from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s....
and Susi Susanti) are now married to each other.
Medallists
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Men's singles | |||
| Women's singles | |||
| Men's doubles | |||
| Women's doubles | |||
Medal table
In 1992, there were no bronze medal matches to decide 3rd and 4th place. Both semifinal losers won bronze medals.| 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Men's singles
The men's singles resulted in the only non-Asian medallist, Thomas Stuer-LauridsenThomas Stuer-Lauridsen
-Career:Stuer-Lauridsen won bronze in the 1992 Olympic Games having conceded the match after sustaining an injury. He also played at the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he was the standard bearer of Denmark.-External links:**...
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. 57 players from 32 nations competed in men's singles.
Women's singles
The winner of the women's singles competition received the first official badminton medal in Olympic history. It was also the first gold medalGold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
for Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, which before had only won one silver (in archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
). 52 players from 27 nations competed in women's singles.