Four badminton athletes named to Team Canada ahead of Paris 2024
Experienced group looks to win Canada's first Olympic medal in the sport.
Four badminton athletes were named to Team Canada for the Paris 2024 Olympics on Wednesday in an announcement by Badminton Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee. The athletes qualified for the Olympics based on their performances throughout the qualification period, which began May 1, 2023 and ended April 28, 2024.
Michelle Li is the most experienced member of the team, and will be going to her fourth Olympics this summer. Li, 32, won gold medals in women’s singles at the 2011, 2015, and 2019 Pan American Games, but missed Santiago 2023 with a knee injury. At Tokyo 2020, Li advanced to the Round of 16 in women’s singles, matching Canada’s best-ever Olympic result in the event.
She was also part of the best-ever Olympic result by a Canadian in any badminton event, a fourth-place finish in women’s doubles with Alexandra Bruce at London 2012.
“It always is an amazing feeling and unforgettable experience to qualify for an Olympics,” said Li in a press release. “The qualification process itself is such a challenge, it’s an absolute grind to overcome the number of unexpected challenges we face in this year.
“For me I battled injury, recovery from surgery, change in coaching, training, financial situation and other struggles. I’m really happy I was still able to pull through and qualify for my fourth Olympics.”
Representing Canada in men’s singles is Santiago 2023 gold medallist Brian Yang, who is heading to his second Olympic Games after making his Olympic debut in Tokyo at age 19.
Yang also won the silver medal in men’s singles at the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games, and has had a decorated career across the region already, and is still just 22. Yang was Canada’s flag bearer for the Cali 2021 Junior Pan American Games opening ceremony, and went on to win gold in both the singles and mixed doubles events — in addition to a mixed team gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, among other wins.
He became the first men’s singles player from the Pan American region to reach the final of a Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super Tour 500 event earlier this year, when he won the silver medal at the 2024 Indonesia Masters.
Now, he will look to win Canada’s first badminton medal at the Olympics.
“I’m feeling very excited and looking forward to the Paris 2024 experience,” said Yang in a press release. “I feel like this time, compared to Tokyo 2020, I have a better shot at doing well. I’m excited to play for a full crowd and I’m hoping that the atmosphere in the venue will be crazy!”
Rounding out the team are Nyl Yakura and Adam Dong, who will compete together in the men’s doubles event. The pair won the gold medal in the event at Santiago 2023, and have been competing together internationally since Dong became a Canadian citizen in February 2022.
Yakura will be going to his second Olympics after competing with Jason Ho-Shue at Tokyo 2020, while Dong is going to his first Olympic Games. Yakura also won the doubles gold medal at the 2019 Pan Am Games with Ho-Shue in 2019.
Dong and Yakura won gold at the Pan American Championships in 2023, and took silver at the 2024 event as well.
“I’m super thrilled that Adam and I have qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” said Yakura in a press release. “It will be my second time at the Olympics and it’s an amazing opportunity that I am truly proud of and grateful to have achieved alongside Adam and everyone who has been a part of our journey.”
The badminton events at the Olympics will take place from July 27 to August 5 at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
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