Zhang Ning

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.

Zhang Ning (simplified Chinese: 张宁; traditional Chinese: 張寧; pinyin: Zhāng Níng; born 19 May 1975) is a former Chinese badminton player. She won the Olympic gold medal twice for women's singles in both 2004 and 2008. She has played badminton on the world scene since the mid-1990s and has been particularly successful since 2002 while in her late twenties and early thirties, relatively late for singles at the highest level, and especially for top players in the Chinese system who are developed very early. She is known for her consistency of shot, deception and constant pressure, dictating the pace of rallies and working her opponents in all four corners of the court. She is the only female player to win consecutive Olympic singles gold medals. She also became World champion in 2003 and has a total of five medals of all colours in the competition.

Zhang Ning 张宁
Personal information
Country	China
Born	(1975-05-19) 19 May 1975 (age 48) Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	64 kg (141 lb; 10.1 st)
Handedness	Right
Women's singles
Career record	385 Win, 97 Loss
Highest ranking	1
Medal record Women's badminton Representing  China Olympic Games 2004 Athens Women's singles 2008 Beijing Women's singles World Championships 2003 Birmingham Women's singles 2005 Anaheim Women's singles 2006 Madrid Women's Singles 2001 Seville Women's singles 2007 Kuala Lumpur Women's singles World Cup 2005 Yiyang Women's singles 2006 Yiyang Women's singles Sudirman Cup 2005 Beijing Mixed team 2007 Glasgow Mixed team Uber Cup 2006 Tokyo/Sendai Women's team 2004 Jakarta Women's team 1996 Hong Kong Women's team 1994 Jakarta Women's team Asian Games 1998 Bangkok Women's team 2002 Busan Women's team 2006 Doha Women's team Asian Championships 2001 Manila Women's singles 2002 Bangkok Women's singles 1999 Kuala Lumpur Women's singles Asian Cup 1996 Seoul Women's singles East Asian Games 1993 Shanghai Women's team 1993 Shanghai Women's doubles 1993 Shanghai Women's singles
BWF profile

Zhang first represented China in the Uber Cup (women's world team championship) competition in 1994 and last represented it in 2006. Though she was not always chosen to play in each of the biennial editions of this tournament, the span of her Uber Cup service is the longest of any Chinese player.

Career

2003

Although she had previously won a number of international open titles dating from the mid-1990s, Zhang's breakthrough as a dominant player on the world circuit came in the 2003 IBF World Championships, where she stormed into the final. There, 28-year-old Zhang Ning defeated compatriot Gong Ruina easily 11-6, 11-3.

2004

The following year, Zhang played badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics for China. In women's singles, she defeated Marina Andrievskaya of Sweden and Kelly Morgan of Great Britain in the first two rounds. In the quarterfinals, Zhang beat Wang Chen of Hong Kong 9-11, 11-6, 11-7 to advance to the semifinals. There, she defeated countrywoman Zhou Mi 11-6, 11-4. Zhang defeated Netherlands's Mia Audina 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 in the final to win the gold medal. It was sweet revenge for the 29-year-old, who had lost to Audina 10 years earlier in the decisive match of the Uber Cup. With her Olympic win, she became one of three singles players in the world to win the World Championship and the Olympic Games (in either order) in successive years, the others being Susi Susanti and Taufik Hidayat.

2005

Zhang also claimed many titles after her breakthrough wins. She bested Xie Xingfang in the 2005 China Open 3-11, 11-4, 11-8, but in the 2005 World Championships final Zhang fell to Xie Xingfang, 8-11, 11-9, 3-11.

2006

In 2006, Zhang reached the finals of the World Championships yet again, but she was still unable to defeat Xingfang. This time, she lost 16-21, 14-21. However, Zhang claimed revenge in the Japan Open, defeating Xingfang 21-11, 16-21, 30-29. This was the 19th time they had met in an international tournament, with the head-to-head tied at 9-9.

During this year the well known Dutch documentary filmmaker Roel van Dalen made the documentary film Olympic Journey - The Road to Beijing on the life of Zhang Ning, which was broadcast on television worldwide.

2007

In 2007, Zhang won her fifth Singapore Open title in six times, beating Xingfang 21-18, 19-21, 21-3. In the World Championships, Xingfang was defeated in the third round by Malaysian Wong Mew Choo, making Zhang a favourite for the title. However, she was stopped in the semi-finals by Wang Chen. This was the second time Wang Chen had beaten her in 2007, after the Indonesian Open. Zhang's compatriot Zhu Lin went on to beat Wang in the final 21-8, 21-12. In the Beijing Good Luck Invitational tournament, Zhang reached the semi-finals to face Zhu Lin but pulled out due to injury.

In the Danish Open, she reached the final, but lost 17-21, 14-21 to compatriot Lu Lan due to a thigh injury. Zhang also reached the semi-finals of the French Open, but was upset by local hope Pi Hongyan.

In the China Open, Zhang lost in straight sets to Malaysia's Wong Mew Choo in the semi-finals. Zhang cited injury and fatigue as the main reasons for her loss.

2008

Zhang's 2008 season started with a first round loss in the Malaysian Open. She was seen coaching her younger teammates in the tournament as well. In the Korean Open, she lost to her former compatriot, Zhou Mi, in the quarter-final. Zhou now plays for Hong Kong. In the All England, Zhang and Xie, the top 2 seeds, lost in the first round. However they both bounced back strongly in the Swiss Open to reach the final, for their 22nd international meeting. To be in the final was a relief for Zhang, who had failed to get past the quarter-finals in three previous tournaments. Still, Xie beat Zhang 21-18, 21-17, bringing their head-to-head stands to 11:11.

Later, at the Beijing Olympic Games, Zhang progressed to the quarter-final after overcoming South Korean Jun Jae Youn in the third round. She then subdued fifth-seeded Pi Hongyan of France and Indonesia's Maria Kristin Yulianti 21-15, 21-15 to reach the final. There she faced compatriot and world number 1 Xie Xingfang and won in a tough three-setter, 21-12, 10-21, 21-18, to extend her gold medal reign. Zhang became the first badminton player to ever defend an Olympic singles title even though many questioned her ability to do so at the age of 33. She was additionally chosen to represent China as the flag bearer for the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.

Retirement

Having previously announced her plans to retire after the 2008 Olympic Games, a retirement ceremony for Zhang and other retiring members of the Chinese national team was held at the 2008 China Open Badminton Championships in Shanghai in November 2008.^[1][2] She was in tears receiving an award during the ceremony to mark her retirement with five other teammates from the Chinese national badminton team on the sidelines of the China Open badminton event in Shanghai, November 23, 2008.^[3] After her retirement, Zhang Ning immediately began working with the Chinese national team in coaching and developing the up-and-coming women's singles players. In 2018 however she was replaced by Luo Yigang as the coach of China's women's badminton team following the below par performance of team at the Uber Cup.^[4]

Achievements

Olympic Games

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2004	Goudi Olympic Hall, Athens, Greece	Mia Audina	8–11, 11–6, 11–7	Gold
2008	Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium, Beijing, China	Xie Xingfang	21–12, 10–21, 21–18	Gold

World Championships

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2001	Palacio de Deportes de San Pablo, Seville, Spain	Zhou Mi	5–11, 9–11	Bronze
2003	National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England	Gong Ruina	11–6, 11–3	Gold
2005	Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, United States	Xie Xingfang	8–11, 11–9, 3–11	Silver
2006	Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid, Spain	Xie Xingfang	16–21, 14–21	Silver
2007	Putra Indoor Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Wang Chen	11–21, 15–21	Bronze

World Cup

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2005	Olympic Park, Yiyang, China	Xie Xingfang	19–21, 16–21	Silver
2006	Olympic Park, Yiyang, China	Wang Yihan	19–21, 18–21	Bronze

Asian Championships

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1999	Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Ye Zhaoying	8–11, 5–11	Silver
2001	PhilSports Arena, Manila, Philippines	Wang Chen	11–1, 11–3	Gold
2002	Nimibutr Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand	Zhou Mi	11–6, 3–11, 8–11	Silver

Asian Cup

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1996	Olympic Gymnasium No. 2, Seoul, South Korea	Zeng Yaqiong	5–11, 11–2, 11–4	Gold

East Asian Games

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1993	Shanghai, China	Shen Lianfeng	8–11, 8–11	Bronze

Women's doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1993	Shanghai, China	Qin Yiyuan	Kim Shin-young   Shon Hye-joo	12–15, 11–15	Silver

BWF Superseries

The BWF Superseries, launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries has two levels, the Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries features twelve tournaments around the world, introduced in 2011, with successful players invited to the BWF Superseries Finals held at the year's end.

Women's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
2007	Swiss Open	Lu Lan	21–16, 21–18	Winner
2007	Singapore Open	Xie Xingfang	21–18, 19–21, 21–3	Winner
2007	China Masters	Xie Xingfang	11–21, 21–8, 21–23	Runner-up
2007	Denmark Open	Lu Lan	17–21, 14–21	Runner-up
2008	Swiss Open	Xie Xingfang	18–21, 17–21	Runner-up

  Superseries tournament

  Superseries Premier tournament

  Superseries Finals tournament

IBF World Grand Prix

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

Women's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
1994	French Open	Liu Yuhong	7–11, 11–7, 11–7	Winner
1994	Brunei Open	Hu Ning	11–3, 6–11, 11–6	Winner
1996	Swedish Open	Ra Kyung-min	6–11, 11–2, 11–4	Winner
1996	Malaysia Open	Wang Chen	11–7, 11–8	Winner
1996	China Open	Wang Chen	11–6, 11–6	Winner
1998	All England Open	Ye Zhaoying	5–11, 8–11	Runner-up
1998	Malaysia Open	Dai Yun	11–1, 11–3	Winner
2001	Singapore Open	Dai Yun	7–1, 4–7, 7–2	Winner
2002	Korea Open	Gong Ruina	7–0, 5–7, 7–1, 7–2	Winner
2002	Singapore Open	Zhou Mi	6–11, 3–11	Runner-up
2002	Indonesia Open	Gong Ruina	6–11, 7–11	Runner-up
2002	China Open	Gong Ruina	5–11, 8–11	Runner-up
2003	Swiss Open	Wang Chen	Walkover	Winner
2003	Singapore Open	Zhou Mi	11–0, 11–8	Winner
2003	German Open	Camilla Martin	11–7, 11–3	Winner
2003	Hong Kong Open	Gong Ruina	11–5, 11–9	Winner
2004	Korea Open	Jun Jae-youn	11–6, 11–5	Winner
2004	Malaysia Open	Zhou Mi	9–11, 11–7, 11–8	Winner
2004	Singapore Open	Zhou Mi	11–8, 11–1	Winner
2005	German Open	Xie Xingfang	5–11, 4–11	Runner-up
2005	All England Open	Xie Xingfang	3–11, 9–11	Runner-up
2005	Japan Open	Xie Xingfang	11–7, 11–8	Winner
2005	Singapore Open	Zhou Mi	11–5, 11–7	Winner
2005	Malaysia Open	Zhu Lin	11–6, 11–2	Winner
2005	China Masters	Zhou Mi	11–3, 5–11, 11–3	Winner
2005	Hong Kong Open	Xie Xingfang	11–4, 1–11, 11–6	Winner
2005	China Open	Xie Xingfang	3–11, 11–4, 11–8	Winner
2006	German Open	Lu Lan	11–8, 11–3	Winner
2006	All England Open	Xie Xingfang	6–11, 11–4, 2–11	Runner-up
2006	Chinese Taipei Open	Xie Xingfang	21–15, 21–15	Winner
2006	Malaysia Open	Tracey Hallam	21–12, 21–13	Winner
2006	Hong Kong Open	Xie Xingfang	Walkover	Runner-up
2006	Japan Open	Xie Xingfang	21–11, 16–21, 30–29	Winner

Women's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1993	Dutch Open	Joanne Goode	Finarsih   Lili Tampi	9–15, 3–15	Runner-up

Record against selected opponents

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

Players Matches Results Difference Won Lost  /  Huang Chia-chi 3 3 0 +3   Petya Nedelcheva 4 4 0 +4   Dai Yun 8 6 2 +4   Gong Ruina 9 4 5 –1   Gong Zhichao 4 2 2 0   Han Jingna 2 0 2 –2   Lu Lan 4 3 1 +2   Wang Lin 2 1 1 0   Wang Yihan 4 3 1 +2   Xie Xingfang 23 12 11 +1   Yao Yan 2 1 1 0   Ye Zhaoying 4 0 4 –4   Zhu Lin 3 3 0 +3   Cheng Shao-chieh 2 2 0 +2   Tine Baun 5 4 1 +3   Camilla Martin 15 9 6 +3   Mette Sørensen 2 2 0 +2

Players Matches Results Difference Won Lost   Tracey Hallam 6 6 0 +6   Pi Hongyan 17 14 3 +11   Petra Overzier 2 2 0 +2   Juliane Schenk 5 5 0 +5   Xu Huaiwen 3 3 0 +3  /  Wang Chen 17 14 3 +11   Yip Pui Yin 5 4 1 +3  /  Zhou Mi 20 8 12 –4   Saina Nehwal 1 1 0 +1   Susi Susanti 6 1 5 –4   Maria Kristin Yulianti 3 2 1 +1   Yasuko Mizui 3 3 0 +3   Wong Mew Choo 8 7 1 +6  /  Mia Audina 13 7 6 +1   Bang Soo-hyun 4 0 4 –4   Kim Ji-hyun 2 0 2 –2   Lim Xiaoqing 5 0 5 –5

References

1. . Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
2. "Veteran Olympic and world badminton champions retire - Sports News - SINA English".
3. "Veteran badminton champions retire -- china.org.cn".
4. "Overhaul begins as China women's badminton coach Zhang Ning is fired". 13 June 2018.

External links

• Zhang Ning at BWF.tournamentsoftware.com  

Olympic Games
Preceded by Liu Xiang	Flagbearer for   China at the Olympics closing ceremony Beijing 2008	Succeeded by Xu Lijia