A Historic Sunday: Alex Lanier and An Se-young Claim Gold at BWF World Championships
NEW DELHI – The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium played host to a seismic shift in the global badminton landscape this Sunday, as France emerged as the day’s undisputed powerhouse and South Korea’s queen of the court further cemented her legend.
The atmosphere was electric as 21-year-old French prodigy Alex Lanier stepped onto the court, carrying the hopes of a nation that had long played the role of an aspiring outsider in elite badminton. With a lethal, angled smash that caught Japan’s world No. 11 Kodai Naraoka flat-footed, Lanier secured a commanding 21-11, 21-11 victory in a clinical 50-minute performance.
As the final shuttlecock landed, the arena erupted. An emotional Lanier dropped his racket, leaping into the air before falling into a tearful embrace with his coach, Kestutis Navickas. With this win, Lanier became the first-ever singles player from France to claim a BWF World Championship title.
“It is a great day for French badminton and a great day for the whole staff,” a jubilant Lanier said after the match. “When the mixed gold was won [by compatriots Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue], I just thought that I needed to give them a double smile and I needed to make history again.”
Lanier’s dominance was total. After holding a slim 11-9 lead at the mid-game interval, he accelerated with relentless intensity, leaving Naraoka with few answers. By the second game, the Japanese star appeared exhausted, allowing the Frenchman to close the door on the championship with a series of punishing smashes.
An Se-young’s Dynasty Continues
While the men’s draw saw the rise of a new hero, the women’s singles final served as a masterclass from one of the sport’s all-time greats. South Korea’s world No. 1, An Se-young, faced off against the formidable Akane Yamaguchi in a clash of pure willpower.
Despite Yamaguchi’s relentless defensive returns and explosive jump smashes, An remained unflappable. The match remained a deadlock at 17-17 in the opening set before the 24-year-old Korean star accelerated to take the opener 21-17. She maintained that momentum in the second, wrapping up a 21-17, 21-14 victory in under 50 minutes.
With this win, An Se-young achieved a rare and historic “clean sweep,” currently holding the Olympic title alongside the World Championship, Asian Games, and Asian Championships crowns. While Yamaguchi made history of her own by becoming the first women’s singles player to secure six World Championship medals, the day belonged to the irrepressible An.
For France, the day represented a watershed moment that will likely redefine the country’s trajectory in the sport for years to come. For An Se-young, the victory was yet another reminder that she is currently peerless in the women’s game.
