Badminton Europe magazine 22 (March)

IVANOV/ SOZONOV CREATE RUSSIAN BADMINTON HISTORY

2016 EUROPEAN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

S T E FA NI & GAB R I E L A S T OE VA Portrait

Issue 23, March 2016

www.badmintoneurope.com

EDITORIAL

The European Men’s & Women’s Team Championships and European U15 Championships were played under outstanding conditions in the Russian Sport Capital Kazan. The elite event once again acts as qualification for the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals which will be played in May in the Chinese city of Kunshan. Congratulations to all medal winners and good luck in China. Also congratulations to all medal winners in the European U15 Championships and in fact all to participants from 34 Member Associations.

The Badminton Europe Annual Delegates’ Meeting is around the corner and will be held in Podcetrtek in Slovenia on 16th April. The new structure will be implemented here with additional elections to bring the Board of Directors up to 14.

The election for the BEC Athletes Commission was successfully conducted in Kazan in February with Ernesto Velazquez, Selena Piek and Nanna Vainio being successfully elected. The latter was appointed Chair of the Athletes Commission and is joining the Board of Directors.

In Slovenia the Badminton Europe Members Forum will be conducted from 14th -15th April with worthwhile topics like a European Training Centre, World Academy of Sport and Fit-minton to mention a few. On the evening of the 16th April the Badminton Awards Gala Evening will see the European badminton community dressed up for the occasion of honoring the achievements of 2015.

Else there is no hiding that we are in an Olympic Year and we are narrowing in on who will qualify for Rio. The last event of the Olympic Qualification Period will be our European Championships in Vendee, France to be played in the end of April.

Notably the spectator interest is enormous which will boost the local French heroes but also send the rest of the European players towards Rio with a blast.

I hope you will enjoy reading the 22nd European Online Magazine.

Brian Agerbak General Secretary

Imprint: Badminton Europe – Published by Badminton Europe Confederation, Brøndbytoften 14, 2605 Brøndby, Denmark. · Responsible editor: Manuel Rösler, manuel.roesler@gmx.de · Design: Julian Pletz, www.julianpletz.de · Coverphoto: BadmintonPhoto · Photos: pages 6–9: BadmintonPhoto, pages 10–11: BadmintonPhoto, pages 14–15: BadmintonPhoto, pages 16–17: BadmintonPhoto, pages 18–23: Mark Phelan, pages 24–31: BadmintonPhoto, pages 32–35: Mark Phelan, pages 36–41: BadmintonPhoto, pages 42–47: Mark Phelan, pages 48: BadmintonPhoto, pages 50–57: BadmintonPhoto, page 62: BadmintonPhoto, pages 64–67: BadmintonPhoto

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18 12

STOEVA‘S SIBLINGS SI ST ERS & SOUL MAT E S

NOMINATION BEC AWARDS G AL A

6

4

16

24

THE EUROPEAN STARS ON THE BWF WORLD RANKING

CAROLINA MARIN

DENMARK CROWNED KINGS AND QUEENS

WI NS B WF PL AYER

OF EUROPEA N

W O R LD R AN KING

O F T HE YEAR AWARD

B ADMI NT ON

CO N TE N T

50 32 THE ADCOCKS SHINE IN DUBAI

IVANOV / SOZONOV FIR S T RUSSI ANS EVER TO WI N AL L - ENG L AND

EVENTS

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54

A SP I R I TU A L S O U L W I TH TH E HEART

2 016 EUROPEAN

O F A TI G ER

BADMINTON EUROPE

ANDERS ANTONSEN MY T OP- 5

LAST CHANCE SALOON FOR SEAT TO RIO

OLGA KONON

59

C HAMPI ONSHI PS

60 PETER GADE I NDUCT ED I NT O DANI SH HAL L OF FAME

5

BWF EUROPEAN WORLD RANKINGS MEN’S SINGLES

5 2 6

19

1

6

3

18

1

CHEN LONG China

2

LIN DAN China

18

HANS-KRISTIAN VITTINGHUS Denmark

3

LEE CHONG WEI Malaysia

19

MARC ZWIEBLER Germany

5

VIKTOR AXELSEN Denmark

22

6

JAN Ø. JØRGENSEN Denmark

RAJIV OUSEPH England

22

BWF E U R OP E A N W O R LD R AN KINGS 17 March 2016

WOMEN’S SINGLES

19 2 27

34

1

3

1

CAROLINA MARIN Spain

27

KARIN SCHNAASE Germany

2

LI XUERUI China

29

LINE KJÆRSFELDT Denmark

3

NOZOMI OKUHARA Japan

34

OLGA KONON Germany

KIRSTY GILMOUR Scotland

37

BEATRIZ CORRALES Spain

19

BADMINTON EUROPE

29

37

7

MEN’S DOUBLES

2

1

1

LEE YONG DAE YOO YEON SEONG Korea

2

HENDRA SETIAWAN MOHAMMAD AHSAN Indonesia

3

CHAI BIAO HONG WEI China

3

5

MATHIAS BOE CARSTEN MOGENSEN Denmark

9

VLADIMIR IVANOV IVAN SOZONOV Russia

11

MADS CONRAD MADS KOLDING Denmark

9

5

11

WOMEN’S DOUBLES

2

1

8

1

MISAKI MATSUTOMO AYAKA TAKAHASHI Japan

2

LUO YING LUO YU China

3

GREYSIA POLII NITYA KRISHINA MAHESWARI Indonesia

3

4

CHRISTINNA PEDERSEN KAMILLA RYTTER-JUHL Denmark

9

SELENA PIEK EEFJE MUSKENS The Netherlands

16

STEFANI STOEVA GABRIELA STOEVA Bulgaria

9

4

16

B WF E U R O P E A N W O R LD R AN KINGS

MIXED DOUBLES

6 2

8

1

1

ZHANG NAN ZHAO YUNLEI China

2

TONTOWI AHMAD LILIYANA NATSIR Indonesia

3

LIU CHENG BAO YIXIN China

3

6

JOACHIM FISCHER CHRISTINNA PEDERSEN Denmark

8

CHRIS ADCOCK GABRIELLE ADCOCK England

14

14

JACCO ARENDS SELENA PIEK The Netherlands

Find the complete world rankings on the BWF website at www.bwfbadminton.org BADMINTON EUROPE

9

SWEDISH MA S T ERS Denmark’s Anders Antonsen wins the first Challenge tournament of the year 2016, the Swedish Masters in Upsala (17.500 Dollar).

10

COPNI C IN TETU NRTE S

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NOMINATION

The BEC Player Awards recognize the achievements and the contribution to European badminton by players engaged in all categories of our sport. The BEC Best European Male Player, the BEC Best European Female Player, the BEC Best Young Player, the BEC Best Para Player, the BEC Best Senior Player award recognizes the best players playing for a nation within the territory of a BEC Member Association during the previous year.

The award should honor the achievement of a European male and female player at international stage. For the award, players were judged by their performances during the previous year.

Deadline for voting was 11 March 2016, 12.00 CET. Simultaneously we will also offering this vote on our official Facebook page to all badminton fans worldwide. After receiving all votes, a BEC Voting panel determines the winner from the shortlist of two candidates in all categories. The winners of the Awards will be invited and honoured at the 4th BEC Awards Gala on Saturday, 16 April 2016 in Podcetrtek, Slovenia.

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CO NAWA BEC TE N TR D S GALA

2012 WINNERS Best Male Player of the Year

MATHIAS BOE / CARSTEN MOGENSEN (Denmark)

Best Female Player of the Year JULIANE SCHENK (Germany)

Best Young Player of the Year CAROLINA MARIN (Spain)

2013 WINNERS Best Male Player of the Year JAN Ø. JØRGENSEN (Denmark)

Best Female Player of the Year CHRISTINNA PEDERSEN (Denmark)

Best Young Player of the Year STEFANI STOEVA (Bulgaria)

2014 WINNERS Best Male Player of the Year JAN Ø. JØRGENSEN (Denmark)

Best Female Player of the Year CAROLINA MARIN (Spain)

Best Young Player of the Year YVONNE LI (Germany)

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BEST BEC MALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MATHIAS BOE CARSTEN MOGENSEN (Denmark)

YONEX ALL-ENGLAND SUPERSERIES 2015 EUROPEAN GAMES 2015 GOLD MEDAL

JA N Ø.

JØRG EN SE N

CH R I S ADCOCK

(Denmark)

(England)

PA B L O A BI A N

YONEX ALL-ENGLAND SUPERSERIES 2015 RUNNER-UP

BWF WORLD SUPERSERIES FINALS

EUROPEAN GAMES 2015 GOLD MEDAL

(Spain)

YONEX GERMAN OPEN 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BRONZE MEDAL

BEST BEC FEMALE PL AYER OF THE YEAR

S TEFAN I ST OE VA GABR IEL A ST OE VA (Bulgaria)

10 INTERNATIONAL TITLES IN 2015 AWARDED FEMALE SPORTS PERSONS OF THE YEAR IN BULGARIA

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C HRIST IN NA PEDERSEN KA M ILLA RYTTER-JUH L (Denmark)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015 SILVER MEDAL

CA R O L I NA MA R I N

GA B R I EL E A D C O CK

WORLD CHAMPION 2015

BWF WORLD SUPERSERIES FINALS

(Spain)

MALAYSIA OPEN SUPERSERIES YONEX ALL-ENGLAND SUPERSERIES 2015 YONEX FRENCH OPEN SUPERSERIES 2015

(England)

CO NAWA BEC TE N TR D S GALA

BEST BEC YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR

J OEL E I PE F RE DER IK SØGA ARD

A NDERS AN TON SEN

MA X WE I S S K I R C H E N

JU L I E DAWAL L J A K O BS EN

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS SILVER MEDAL

EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPION

EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPION (MIXED DOUBLES)

DUTCH INTERNATIONAL

SILVER MEDAL MEN’S SINGLES

EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPION (WOMEN’S DOUBLES)

(Denmark)

(Denmark)

(Germany)

(Denmark)

SILVER MEDAL WOMEN’S SINGLES

BEC BEST SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

R OYS TON V. L ORD (England)

M A RJA N RIDDER

(The Netherlands)

H E I DI BE N D E R

GI T T E S O MME R

2 X GOLD AT WSC IN 65+ (MD AND XD)

2 X GOLD AT WSC IN 60+ (WD AND XD)

3 X GOLD AT WSC IN 55+

3 X GOLD AT WSC IN 45+

(Germany)

(Denmark)

BEC BEST PARA-BADMINTON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BARTL OMIE J MROZ

HELLE SOFIE SAG ØY

JU L I E H .

TH R A N E

R A CH E L CHOONG

1 XGOLD: MD, 2 X SILVER: MS AND MD AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015

BWF FEMALE PARABADMINTON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

1 X GOLD: WS AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015

UK SPORT INSPIRATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR AWARD

2 X GOLD: MS AND MD AT IRISH INTERNATIONAL 2015

2 X GOLD: WS, WD AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015

(Poland)

BADMINTON EUROPE

(Norway)

(Denmark)

1 X GOLD: WS AT SPANISH INTERNATIONAL 2015

(England)

3 X GOLD: WS, WD AND XD AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015

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CAROLINA MARIN

Wins BWF Player of the Year award 16

BWF P LAY E R O F THE YEAR AWAR DS

Helle Sofie Sagoy was honoured with Female Para-Badminton Player of the Year

World champion Carolina Marin’s glorious 2015 season received the ultimate acknowledgement when she received the Female Player of the Year award from BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer in Dubai The BWF Player of the Year awards were given at the Players’ Reception and Gala Dinner, held in honour of the assembled players, sponsors, officials and other guests to the Dubai Superseries Finals.

Marin, winner of five World Superseries titles and the BWF World Championships title in 2015, held off competition from China’s Zhao Yunlei, India’s Saina Nehwal and China’s Bao Yixin. The delighted Spaniard admitted she had not expected to win the award. “I thought Zhao would win it because she’s had a great year as well,” she said with a broad smile. “I’m very happy, because it’s affirming that you did something great during the year.” China‘s Chen Long retained the Male Player of the Year award that he won last year. His young compatriot Zheng Si Wei was acknowledged as the Most Promising Player of the Year.

For the first time, BWF honoured para-badminton players with the year-end awards. Korea’s Lee Sam Seop (WH 1 sport class) was named Male Para-Badminton Player of the Year, holding off competition from Malaysia’s Cheah Like Hou (SU 5) and Poland’s Bartlomiej Mroz (SU 5), while Helle Sofie Sagoy (SL 4) was honoured with Female Para-Badminton Player of the Year. The other contenders in her category were Englishwoman Rachel Choong (SS 6) and Denmark’s Julie Thrane (SU 5).

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BWF Player of the Year

2015 Chen Long (China) Carolina Marin (Spain) 2014 Chen Long (China) Zhao Yunlei (China) 2013 Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) Li Xuerui (China) 2012 Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng (China) Wang Yihan (China) 2011 Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang (China) 2010 Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) Wang Xin (China) 2009 Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) and Wang Yihan (China) 2008 Lin Dan (China) Zhou Mi (Hong Kong)

2007 Lin Dan (China) 2006 Lin Dan (China) 2005 Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) 2004 Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) 2003 Kim Dong Moon/Ra Kyung Min (Korea) 2002 Kim Dong Moon (Korea) 2001 Gao Ling (China) 2000 Chandra Wijaya (Indonesia) 1999 Camilla Martin (Denmark) 1998 Peter Gade (Denmark)

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PORTR A I T

STOEVA‘S SIBLINGS SISTERS & SOUL MATES Article and photos by Mark Phelan

Bulgaria’s Stoeva sisters have, over the past 3 years, become ever present on the Badminton Europe circuit.

Countless wins and 2015 just past proved to be a bumper year for the sisters winning ten titles including a four in a row with victories in Wales, Ireland, Italy and Turkey and the coveted European Games title in Baku in the summer.

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« T H E ME D I A AT HO ME RE AL LY S T O O D U P AN D T OO K NO T I C E OF US AN D WE HAVE BE E N NO MIN AT E D F O R BI G AWA RDS S INC E WINNI N G T HE GO L D M E D AL . »

With Stefani concentrating solely on doubles, let’s not forget the younger Stoeva sister won the European junior singles title in 2013, the sisters have blitzed all before them on the circuit. Add into the equation a quarter final at the Denmark Open, two Grand Prix wins in Russia and The Netherlands the Stoeva’s will now feel comfortable making the step up to Super Series on a more regular basis. But it was in Baku in the summer that proved to be a real turning point for the sisters as the attention they received from their European Games success brought them to the fore of sporting excellence at home in Bulgaria.

“Baku seems so long ago but we can look back on it as being a game changer for us in some respects. The media at home really stood up and took notice of us and we have been nominated for big awards since winning the gold medal. We even flew home to Sofia for two days between Wales & Ireland to collect an award” While the media were keen to give the sisters column inches another knock on effect from the Baku success was an increase in funding direct from the sports ministry in Bulgaria.

“I remember the feeling winning the gold and seeing all the Bulgarian athletes in the hall cheering for us.” recalls Gabriela. “We became a lot more well-known at home and the sport of badminton has also got a big boost. As a result, we have also secured premium funding from the sports minister which will help us take our game to the next level.

It is almost impossible to say how important the win in Baku has been for us as a result.”

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CO N TE PORTR AN ITT

2015 – MULTIPLE WI NS WITH A HINT OF CHANGE IN A PERFECT YEAR. While the Stoeva sister spent more time on the top of the podium in 2015 the year itself was not without some changes to their team. For many years the girls had been working with Gunther Huber, the German who guided them to all their success’s.

All parties agreed to go their separate ways at the end of their existing contract in the Autumn of 2015 with Huber now moving to take over coaching at the Turkish federation in preparation for the Europeans and Olympics 2016.

Even with the winds of change from a personnel perspective 2015 proved to be a glorious year for the Stoeva’s in what they themselves describe as the perfect year.

“We can look back at 2015 as being almost perfect. Baku really set things rolling and our first Super Series quarter final soon followed and ten win in total is hard to describe as anything but almost perfect”

RIO ON THE HORIZON With 2015 now but a memory the exploits of last year have set the Stoeva sisters well on their way to qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio this coming summer. At number 17 in the world (at time of writing) and number 10 in the rankings on the road to Rio the Stoeva’s can start to taste the Brazilian air with just 6 months to go. Not ones to rest on their laurels the sisters want to chase a seeded position but know this is the next big step for them as a pair.

“Rio is looking good at this stage but right now we are outside the seeding positions for the Olympics. It would be great to get a seeding but to do that we will need to be inside the world’s top 10 so more work and improvement is required.”

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The sisters will now leave the circuit events behind them as they continue to push and chase world ranking points for Rio. Superseries beckons as Asia and all the big tournaments demand their presence.

« WE HO P E T O G O T O R I O A ND MA K E E VE RY O NE I N BULG ARIA P RO U D. »

“We know we have done all we can on the Badminton Europe circuit and only good performances in the bigger tournaments will help our ranking now. 2016 will see us travel to Asia more and compete in the bigger Superseries events not only for our ranking but we feel this is now the level we need to test ourselves at as we move to the next level.”

The sisters remember vividly watching the London Olympics in 2012 and dreaming about one day being able to compete in an Olympic games. But they were also saddened by the events that occurred in the women’s doubles in London which became the focus of attention for all the wrong reasons in 2012.

“We both remember watching the London games and the scenes that surrounded the group matches in women’s doubles. That saddened us both very much as this is something that should not happen in sport.

When you think about all the players who sacrifice so much to get to the Olympics then others throw matches like they did was just so bad for us to watch. We hope to go to Rio and make everyone in Bulgaria proud”

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CO N TE PORTR AN ITT

NEXT LEVEL WITH NEW DEMANDS AND SOME SHORT TERM GOALS. The Stoeva sister have developed the reputation as one of the hardest working pairs in Europe. A dynamite defence coupled with a physical prowess the envy of others means that when the going gets tough the Stoeva’s normally come out on top.

But like all top athletes the girls know that the success of the circuit in 2015 will be much harder come by at the big events.

“We know we have a strong defence and our physical condition is good but to beat the Japanese and other Asians we will need to be better.

They can play for 90 minutes without a problem and we have to improve to be able to match and better that” Along the way there is the minor matters of the European individual championships in April and the European women’s team championships in Kazan Russia, both tournaments the Stoeva sisters have short term goals with an intent on winning medals.

Politics has sometimes played a part in team Bulgaria’s preparation in team events but Stefani Stoeva is convinced that when they get together as a team in Kazan they can work together and do better than their bronze medal in Basel in 2014.

“It is no news that there are two camps especially in our women’s team in Bulgaria. This is just the way it is but you know when we go

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to Kazan, and we will be there, we are sure that as a team we can do better than Basel. On paper we should win medals and it will also give me personally a chance to play some singles again which will be strange” As for the European in France Gabriela looks forward to those championships especially since they play their club badminton in France.

“The European individual is the last tournament in the Olympic qualifying period so it will be important for everyone. For us we will be one of the pairs favourite to win a medal in the women’s doubles and it would be great to do it on French soil as our club have been so good to us this season. They always support us and we enjoying playing in France so much” When not playing, travelling or training the sisters like nothing more to be at home with their parents and their dog ‘Buck’ who even on a bad day can bring a collective smile to the Stoeva sisters faces.

“Getting home and throwing the bag in the corner is rare but when we do our parents and Buck are there to keep us grounded” 2015 was a pivotal year for the Stoeva sisters and the opportunities that will present themselves in 2016 bring with them the possibility of major medals and success. If that should happen then Bulgaria and Europe will have found themselves another set of global stars if not well, then we can still rest assured that we have one of the hardest working and nicest pairs in women’s doubles badminton in our midst.

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DENMARK CROWNED KINGS AND QUEENS OF EUROPEAN BADMINTON

From left to right: Viktor Axelsen, Kim Astrup, Anders Antonsen, Emil Holst, Mads Kolding, Thomas Stavngaard (Coach), Kenneth Jonassen (Coach), Jan Ø. Jørgensen, Hans-Kristian Vittinghus, Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, Mads Conrad, Mathias Boe

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E V EN TS

From left to right: Kenneth Jonassen (Coach), Thomas Stavngaard (Coach), Kamilla Rytter Juhl, Christinna Pedersen, Lena Grebak, Sara Thygesen, Anna Thea Madsen, Mette Poulsen, Julie Dawall Jakobsen, Line Kjaersfeldt, Maiken Fruergaard

Article and photos by Mark Phelan

Team Denmark proved once again that they are virtually untouchable in continental team competitions as both the Danish men and women romped to emphatic defence of their titles to once again be crowned kings and queens of European team badminton.

The Danish men got things underway and to France’s credit put severe pressure on the champions thanks to a master class from their singles leader Brice Leverdez. The French number 1 inflicted the first defeat of the week on world number three Jan O Jorgensen coming back from a set down to take the opening singles in three.

“Jan’s game is a game I am comfortable playing against. I was also confident after beating some good players this week and really it was all in with nothing to lose and with my team behind me I manage to get the first point for France” said Leverdez after his opening win.

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But that was to be as good as it got for the French as the Danes remained focused and showed no signs of panic even after going a set down in the second match on court the first men’s doubles. Conrad and Kolding were slow to start but came storming back to take the match in three against Mittelheisser and Kersaudy and soon added the second men’s singles to take a 2-1 lead courtesy of Viktor Axelsen.

Normally the joker in the team, Anders Skaarup took to the court with partner Kim Astrup and there was certainly a focused intent from the Danes who blitzed past Labar and Maio in an easy two games to win the title yet again for Denmark.

“It really was a great honour to have the opportunity to win the title for Denmark and I am almost speechless now knowing we have done it” said Skaarup on claiming the title.

“This one is for Carsten (Mogensen) and we are proud to win this title for him this week”

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From left to right: Anders Thomsen (Coach), Ernesto Garcia (Coach), Sara Penalver, Clara Azurmendi, Carolina Marin, Beatriz Corrales, Haidee Ojeda

From left to right: Orlin Tsvetanov (Coach), Petya Nedelcheva, Stefani Stoeva, Maria Mitsova, Gabriela Stoeva, Linda Zetchiri

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E V EN TS

RYTTER JUHL AND PEDERSEN SEAL THE DOUBLE FOR DENMARK

Just as the men defended their title from Basel two years ago so too did the Danish women who came through their final against Bulgaria altogether more comfortably than many would have expected. Fatigue had played its part on the Bulgarian team with four players sharing the bulk of the work from quarter finals onwards.

In the end Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna Pedersen rounded up the double for Denmark after Line Kjaersfeldt and Anna Thea Madsen had given them an early lead.

The world no. 4 men‘s doubles player Carsten Mogensen collapsed in a hotel room while playing at the 2016 European Men‘s & Women‘s Team Championship. He then had to undergo a brain surgery to treat the aortic aneurysm ruptures in his brain.

From left to right: Holger Hasse (Coach), Diemo Ruhnow (Coach), Linda Efler, Luise Heim, Yvonne Li, Fabienne Deprez. Isabel Herttrich, Lara Käpplein

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EUROPEAN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDALISTS

M E N ‘ S TE A M

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

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W O M E N ‘S TE AM

G O LD

S I LV E R

B R O N ZE

GO L D

SI LVE R

B RO N ZE

Denmark

Germany

England

Netherlands

England

Germany

Denmark

England

Germany

Denmark

Netherlands

Germany

Denmark

Poland

Germany

Denmark

Russia

Germany

Denmark

Germany

England

Germany

Denmark

Netherlands

Finland

Denmark

England

Germany

Bulgaria

Denmark

Russia

Denmark

Bulgaria

England

Denmark

France

Germany

Germany

Germany

Spain

E V EN TS

From left to right: Peter Gade (Coach), Julien Maio, Ronan Labar, Thomas Rouxel, Baptiste Careme, Jordan Corvee, Toma Junior Popov, Lucas Corvee, Bastian Kersaudy, Lucas Claerbout, Gaetan Mittelheisser, Brice Leverdez

From left to right: Holger Hasse (Coach), Jacob Oehlenschlaeger (Coach), Dieter Domke, Johannes Schöttler, Mosche Zurwonne, Peter Käsbauer, Michael Fuchs, Marc Zwiebler, Raphael Beck, Marvin Seidel, Mark Lamsfuß, Lars Schänzler, Kai Schäfer

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SATURDAY, 16 T H OF APRIL 2 016 IN PODCETRTEK 1 9.00 CET FOLLOW THE AWARDS GALA LIVE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

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facebook.com/badmintoneurope

twitter.com/europebec

E V EN TS

From left to right: Jacob Hoi (Coach), Peter Mills, Rhys Walker, Sam Parsons, Tom Wolfenden, Peter Briggs, Toby Penty, Marcus Ellis, Chris Langridge, Rajiv Ouseph

EUROPEAN WOMEN ‘S T EAM CHAM PIONSHI PS GO L D DENMAR K SI LVE R B ULGAR IA B RO N ZE GER MANY & S PAIN

EUROPEAN M EN‘S T EAM CHAM PIONSHI PS GO L D DENMAR K SI LVE R F R ANC E B RO N ZE GER MANY & ENGLAND BADMINTON EUROPE

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BROAD DISPERSAL OF MEDALS IN KAZAN 2016 European U15 Championships Article and photos by Mark Phelan

The staging of the European U15 Championships alongside the European men’s and women’s Team Championships in Kazan proved once again to be a huge success following its inaugural outing in Basel in 2014.

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CO N TE N T

The event was compressed into three days coinciding with the business end of the elite event giving the rising stars both an opportunity to perform on the big stage in a vast arena while seizing the opportunity to watch idols such as Jan O Jorgensen, Carolina Marin & Viktor Axelsen to name but a few. The finals themselves provided a diverse range of medallists with no fewer than 7 countries represented on the podium. As expected Denmark led the lines with medals across the board but with just two golds might have expected more. The Danish success

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came in the girl’s singles thanks to the dominance of Mathilde Cramer Ahrens. The tall Dane also took home silver in the women’s doubles behind powerful Turkish pair Bengisu Ercetin and Zehra Erdem.

Denmark also claimed both gold and silver in the mixed event with Gronbjerg and Graversen claiming the bragging rights over Espersen and Andreasen. Harry Huang took the boys singles title beating Christo Popov of France in a close final. France

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W OM E N ’ S SI N GLES

MEN’ S DOUB LES

G OL D

G O LD

H A R RY H U ANG

MATH ILDE C RA ME R A HRENS

GO L D

M E N’S S I NG LE S

( ENG L AND) S I LVER

C H R I S TO P O PO V ( F R ANC E) B R O NZ E

G E O R G I I K A RPO V ( R U S S I A)

B R O NZ E

R O RY E A S T ON ( ENG L AND)

( D E N M A R K) S I LV E R

VIVIE N SA NDOR HAZ I ( H U N G A RY) BRONZE

B E NG ISU E RCET IN

KENJI LOVANG/ CHRIST O POPOV (France) SI LVE R

RORY EAST ON/ HARRY HUANG (England) B RO N ZE

( TU R K E Y )

JOSHUA APILIGA/ ADAM PRINGLE

BRONZE

(Scotland)

A NA STA SIIA KU R DYU K OVA (RUSSIA)

B RO N ZE

RASMUS ESPERSEN/ SEBAST IAN GRØNBJERG (Denmark)

WOMEN’ S D OUBLES GO L D

BENGISU ERC E TI N / Z EHRA ER D E M (TURK EY ) SI LVE R

CHRIST INE B U S C H ANDREAS E N / M AT HILDE C RA ME R AHREN S (DE N M A RK) B RO N ZE

ROMAN E CLOT EA U X FOUCAU LT/ AINOA DES MON S (F RAN C E) B RO N ZE

RACHEL CAMERON/ RACHEL SUGD E N (SCO TL AND)

claimed the boy’s doubles title thanks to Kenji Lovang and Popov, with Popov finally getting his gold medal and revenge over Huang and partner Rory Easton in the final.

Anastasiia Kurdyukova and Georgii Karpov were the most successful home nation medallists taking home a pair of bronze each in singles respectively and in mixed as a pair. Karpov will be remember for his comeback against Denmark’s Nicolaj Wolf in their quarter final when looking dead and buried trailing 19-9 and 20-14 in the deciding game. The Russian somehow came through to win in the most dramatic fashion 30-29 to claim his singles medal.

There was plenty to celebrate from both Scotland and Hungary, with a historic silver in women’s singles for Vivien Sandorhazi while Scotland brought home bronze in both the boys and girls doubles thanks to Pringle/Apiliga and Cameron/Sugden.

England rounded off their medal tally with bronze in boy’s singles thanks to Rory Easton and mixed doubles where David Hong partner Hope Warner. France secured their third medal thanks to the efforts of Romane Cloteaux-Foucault and Ainoa Desmons in girl’s doubles.

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CO E V EN N TE TSN T MI X E D D O U BL E S G OL D

S EBA S TI A N G R Ø NB JE R G / C L A R A G R AVE RSE N

T H E E U R OPEAN U15 C H AMPIONS H IPS MEDAL TAB LE Rank

Nation

Gold

Silver

Bronze

( D ENM AR K )

1

DE N M ARK

2

2

1

S I LVER

2

E N GL AN D

1

1

2

3

F RAN CE

1

1

1

4

TURK E Y

1

•

1

5

HUN GARY

•

1

•

6

RUSSI A

•

•

3

7

SCO TL AN D

•

•

2

R AS M U S ESPERSEN/ C H R I S TI NE B U SC H AN D R E A S E N ( D ENMAR K ) B R ONZ E

GEOR G I I K A R P OV/ ANA S TA S I I A K U R D Y U K O VA ( R U S S I A)

B R O NZ E

DAVI D HO NG / HO P E WAR N E R ( ENG L AND )

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CO N TE N T

THE ADCOCKS SHINE IN DUBAI Article by Manuel Rรถsler

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The world number 7 pair played some smart rallies to take an early lead in the first game which they never let slip after that. „This is a very big win for us,“ said Chris Adcock to Badminton England.

Chris and Gabby Adcock have created history by becoming the first English players to win a title at the year-end BWF World Superseries finals. The husband-and-wife pair beat Korea‘s third seeds Ko Sung-hyun and Kim Ha-na 21-14 21-17 in two straight games to clinch the title in Dubai and a prize money of USD 84,000.

„The Koreans have been superb all year. We really wanted to try and put right what we didn‘t do against them in the past so to come through with the win is amazing.“ The Adcocks had not beaten their Korean rivals in their three previous meetings but opened up a 12-6 lead in the first game before going six points up again later (18-12) and closing out the opener. They went 12-8 ahead in the second game before their opponents made it 15-all.

But two winners from Chris gave them the initiative again and they wrapped up victory in just 37 minutes for their second Superseries title after their success in Hong Kong in 2013.

Gabby said: „I am in shock and I can‘t believe we won. I am overwhelmed with emotion. This is a very big win as the Korean pair have been good all year.“

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E V EN TS

AXELSEN & PEDERSEN/ RYTTER JUHL FINISHED RUNNER-UP

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Viktor Axelsen, who stunned overwhelming favourite Chen Long of China in a sensational semi-final show-down on Saturday, suffered a two-game defeat to Kento Momota of Japan. The Dane lost 12-21, 15-21 after 38 minutes of play.

“It was not the result I had hoped for! Simply didn‘t find my level from the semi-final and Momota played way better than I did. I am still looking back at a good tournament and a good year 2015. Now I need some rest and some days away from badminton, before training starts again! I‘m looking forward to 2016“, said Viktor Axelsen on his Facebook page.

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B WF WORLD SUPERS ERI E S FI NA LS The husband and wife pair Chris and Gabby Adcock were the first British players to make a final at the seasonending tournament and they completed the job with a 21-14, 21-17 victory over South Korea‘s third seeds Ko Sung-hyun and Kim Ha-na.

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COPNI C IN TETU NRTE S

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OLGA KONON A spiritual soul with the heart of a tiger Article and photos by Mark Phelan

Germany’s Olga Konon is not a player that lives in the past even though the past has served to define her as a player and a person. A career blighted by injury and while playing for Germany in Basel at the European Women’s Team Championship in 2014, Konon was carried off the court in a singles match against Ella Diehl of Russia. Many would have been forgiven for predicting the end for Konon’s career at that stage but the Belarusian native is a fighter and believer and her fate in herself and the belief and dedication shown by her coach has propelled her back to elite end of European badminton and singled her out again as one of the players to beat in Europe and all against the odds.

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PORTR A I T

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2015 A WATERSHED AND NEW PERSONAL BENCHMARK

After the pain and frustration of 2014 Konon re-emerged at the end of that same year after some intensive rehabilitation playing her first international in Ireland and making the semi-final on her comeback. Qualification beckoned once again as a result of a non-existent ranking and the by now new German national champion struggled to find the winning edge despite encouraging quarter finals in Orleans and Finland in 2015. The summer of 2015 proved to be the catalyst for things to come as for the second summer in a row Konon headed to Indonesia for some intensive training thanks to the contacts of her Saarbrucken coach Dede Dewanto.

“I gained a lot from my trip to Indonesia. Their ethics and mentality sit well with me and the change of scenery suited me at the time. The human side to their training also suited me even though its highly competitive.”

Konon re-emerged from that training camp revived and revigourated and tackled the new Badminton Europe circuit season head on. A trip to Kharkiv in the Ukraine for the first major international challenge tournament of the new circuit season saw Konon almost lose her opening round after going a set behind but a new found fighting spirit propelled the German to new heights and after coming through the first match in three sets Konon went on to win the tournament and followed that victory with wins at the Bulgarian International and the Irish Open in December. The German was back and all of a sudden was the player to beat on the circuit!

“At the beginning of 2015 I was just happy to be playing again and was sort of content with that. But I was losing some first round matches and to be honest I just didn’t like that and was not happy to settle for that. Just to be playing again was not enough. After my trip to Indonesia I came back to Europe with a new fighting spirit, a spirt that before maybe I did not have and this took me through some tricky matches and helped me win when maybe before I would have lost”.

While winning again is a great feeling it also has the tendency to mark a player out as the player to beat. This is certainly the case for Konon as she moves into 2016 as a top seed in tournaments as opposed to having to battling through qualification which was the case just 12 months ago.

“It is a nice feeling to win and win as I did last year. But it also has a flip side as it means that players I play prepare to their absolute best to play against me. But now I have a belief that I can win and that I have the tools to do so. But you know I am also prepared to lose as I know I cannot win all the time, this is something that is funny to maybe read but it is an important part of my progress accepting loss

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CO N TE PORTR AN ITT

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NO PRESSURE NO EXPECTATIONS JUST DETERMINATION TO BE A BETTER PLAYER Konon now moves into 2016 with a core belief that her best days are still ahead of her. At 26 years old Konon’s motivation is not actually to go out and win tournaments but more so to beat players that are ranked higher than her.

Konon also has an elevated thought process and a deep spiritual soul. While a desire to be better on court is pretty much par for the course for any player, this German looks to other more spiritual areas as part of her development.

“Learning not to stress and to not over react on things is a big part of my personal development. I am learning not stress about things off court as that reflects on my performance on the court. I also look to people who inspire me, people like Juliane Schenk and Susi Susanti and I try and learn from them. I want to emulate their professionalism and how they were successful going their own way.”

Konon’s determination to be better is a belief founded on experience. A new fighting spirit is something the Konon thought she had but only when experience called did she realise that it was not really there when she was younger.

“When I was younger I thought the easiest thing you could have was fighting spirit and just fight to the end and I kind of convinced myself I had that. It was not until this past year that I really found the true determination. I had to re-examine myself and ask myself is it important for you Olga, do you want to win. Moving forward I want to enhance this feeling and make it more consistent.”

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CO N TE PORTR AN ITT

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN While a player tends to receive all the attention and accolades when successful we as badminton consumers tend to forget that a lot of that success must be attributed to the team behind the player, effectively the 90% of the iceberg that is unseen below the waterline. Throughout her rehabilitation one man has stood behind Konon as the foundation to her recovery and comeback. Dede Dewanto has been that man and the softly spoken Indonesian was there to pick up the pieces when Konon was at her lowest ebb.

“My coach believed in me when many others didn’t. He understands me and how I work as I know I am not really that player that fits into a structured regime of a national set up. When I am down and maybe things are not going as I hoped he is always there and has the ability to talk to me and effectively calm me down so I see the clear picture again. I trust him 100% as I can see it works. I trust the training process and he is such a nice and humble person and that suits my personality.”

In terms of badminton Konon is very much a solitary kind of individual. A person with some very philosophical ideas and a mind-set that can sometimes be difficult to interpret. Dewanto has the power to allow Konon to play the shots she wants to play but at the same time encouraging her to change things that need to change.

“I stress less with him around, he brings out my individuality and I like that as he lets me do the strokes my own way. He brings the special things out of me and he allows me be me on the court and in training”.

MY CLUB AND MY HOME Loyalty is a rare thing in major sports these days. Players come and go from soccer teams to the point where contracts are almost irrelevant. In Olga Konon’s case she has played for BC Bischmisheim since 2009 and feels as comfortable there as she does at home on her parent’s couch in Belarus.

“My club has been a key part in my life on and off court. I do not feel like I am a foreigner there. They make me feel like I was born there and as part of the family. This kind of homely feeling is not something you can fake, it’s a feeling that if it is real it stands the test of time and BC Bischmisheim give me this feeling every day of my life, I feel like home there.”

Konon continues to lead the line in women’s singles for her club and at time of writing has not lost a match in women’s singles in the German Bundesliga as Bischmisheim lead the way at the top of the table.

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CO N TE N T

A WORLD WHERE NUMBERS ARE IMPORTANT Konon has had her fair share of dark days when asked what her current world ranking is. For people outside of badminton a number in a ranking is a verification of your talent and status in a given sport. From an all-time low of virtually no ranking Konon has jumped back inside the world’s top 40 in just over a year and this is something the player herself is comfortable with.

“We live in a world where numbers are important. People see numbers and I am not a young player anymore where I can throw out the ‘potential potential potential’ line so I am judged by my ranking which is a direct reflection on my results. I am comfortable with this but for me numbers are not limiting so I will continue to push myself. Also the numbers game has eased things for me from a support point of view as people see now that Olga is fit and fighting and inside top 40 in world so is worth supporting to the next level. This was a worrying part for me when the number was 365” Numbers are also a part of the Olympic qualification process and looking at the qualification process from the sanity of the outside the German is very happy to be focused on what she considers more important things in life.

“I consider myself lucky to be unaffected by the Olympic race. I am outside the German federations system and when I see the stress players are under on the circuit I am happy to be where I am. I honestly feel sorry for the players and the stress they are under as I see that the joy of playing the game is gone for some of them. If that was me, it would make my level worse so I am so happy to be where I am” Konon moves ahead into 2016 and beyond content in the knowledge that she has made all the decisions in her life to date on her terms. A life outside of badminton is not something that is on the cards just yet but Konon believes that her life experiences gained from her injuries and her success’s is something that could benefit others on a similar road.

Teaching is something that when mention draws a smile and coaching and educating are areas that appeal to the Belarusian native who at the last count is fluent in four languages.

Onwards and upwards for Konon who already has proved that no matter what the world throws at you if you truly believe in yourself you can achieve what you want to achieve and all with a smile on your face.

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IVANOV / SOZONOV First Russians ever to win All-England Article by Manuel Rösler

The Russians pulled off an incredible 21-23, 21-18, 21-16 win over the world No7 to secure their first Superseries title.

It may not have been a sensation in the same league as Carolina Marin’s gold medal at the 2014 World Championships in Copenhagen but what happened at the Yonex All-England Open on Sunday perhaps wasn‘t far off.

Russia’s Vladimir Ivanov/Ivan Sozonov, current world number 13, stunned Hiroyuki Endo/Kenichi Hayakawa of Japan in a three-game encounter to open their Superseries account and take the title of one of the most prestigious individual tournaments in the world. The unseeded European Champion’s 21-23, 21-18, 21-16 improbable victory made them the first Russians ever to win an All-England title.

An emotional Ivan Sozonov said afterwards: “This is the biggest tournament in the world. And we just won it by beating one of the best men’s doubles pairs in the world. It’s absolutely amazing.” “We have lost five times in the first round here… There is a joke in Russia that if we win one match we will win the tournament. This is a miracle,” declared Ivanov speaking to the BWF.

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CO N TE N T

TH E F INALS R ES ULTS : “This is our first Superseries final and to win at the best tournament in the world makes us very proud and so excited. This is a new page for Russia and a wonderful new experience for us which we hope will come again,” said Sozonov.

FISCHER/PEDERSEN FINISHED RUNNER-UP Denmark’s Joachim Fischer/Christinna Pedersen, the current European Champion in the mixed doubles category, lost their first All-England final appearance to the eighth seeded Indonesian pair Parveen Jordan and Debby Susanto in two games 12-21, 17-21. „It was great to have reached the finals here. But the way I played today was not great“, said Christinna Pedersen in an interview with the Danish media. „The first game was really bad from my side. I was too slow and I did too many mistakes. In the end we met a pair which was just better today.“ Lin Dan earned his sixth All England men’s singles title when he eased past Chinese teammate Tian Houwei 21-9, 21-10 in just 40 minutes in the final on Sunday.

Nozomi Okuhara of Japan marked her 21st birthday with her first All-England title after beating two-time champion Wang Shixian of China 21-11, 16-21, 21-19 in a thrilling final which lasted 99 minutes.

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M S: LIN DAN (C H N) – TI AN HO UW E I (CHN ) 2 1 :9 , 2 1 :1 0 W S: NOZOMI OK UH AR A (J PN) – WAN G SHI XI AN (CHN ) 2 1 :1 1 ,1 6 :2 1 , 2 1 :1 9 M D: V LADIMIR IVANOV /IVAN S OZONOV (R US ) – HI RO YUK I E N DO / K E N I CHI HAYAK AWA (J P N ) 2 1 :2 3 , 2 1 :1 8 , 2 1 :1 6 W D: MIS AK I MATS UTOMO/AYAK A TAK AH AS H I (J PN) – TAN G YUAN TI N G/ YU YAN G (CHN ) 2 1 :1 0 , 2 1 :1 2 XD: PR AV EEN J OR DAN/DEB B Y S US ANTO (INA) – J O ACHI M F I SCHE R/ CHRI STI N N A P E DE RSE N (DE N ) 2 1 :1 2 , 2 1 :1 7

R EC ENT YONEX ALL-ENGLAND C H AMPIONS F R OM EUROP E: 2015

Carolina Marin & Mathias Boe / Carsten Mogensen

2014

Tine Baun

2013

Mathias Boe / Carsten Mogensen

2012

Tine Baun & Jonas Rasmussen / Lars Paaske

2011

Tine Baun

2010

Jens Eriksen / Martin Lundgaard

2009

Nathan Robertson/Gail Emms 51

Y ON EX A L L - EN GL AN D Russia’s Vladimir Ivanov/Ivan Sozonov, current world number 13, stunned Hiroyuki Endo/Kenichi Hayakawa of Japan in a three-game encounter to open their Superseries account and take the title of one of the most prestigious individual tournaments in the world.

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COPNI C IN TETU NRTE S

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LAST CHANCE SALOON FOR S EAT TO RIO 2016 European Championships Article by Mark Phelan

The 2016 European Championship is almost upon us and Badminton Europe’s flagship event will also signal the end of a hectic 12 months’ Olympic qualification campaign which for some will represent the last chance saloon to book their ticket to Rio. 54

CO E V EN N TE TSN T

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The 2016 European Championships will take place in the Vendee region of France in La-Roche-Sur-Yon with the French Badminton Federation (FFBA) already boasting the staggering statistic that practically all the tickets have been sold in advance for the medal stages of the event which will be held in the 4000 capacity seater Vendespace Arena.

The French badminton public have become synonymous in their support of international badminton and the 2016 European Championships is sure to prove a riveting spectacle for the paying public as the cream of European talent descends on the French Atlantic coast.

Established world stars such as Jan Ø. Jørgensen, Carolina Marin and Viktor Axelsen will draw much of the attention.

Knowledgeable focus will certainly concentrate on the battle for Olympic points that will reach its crescendo in France.

The women’s singles in particular, throws up a plethora of

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interesting battles as Karin Schnaase & Olga Konon (both Germany) Nanna Vainio & Airi Mikkelä (both Finland) and Ksenia Polikarpova & Natali Perminova (both Russia) look for the career defining result that will put them on the plane to Rio ahead of their compatriot.

There will also be plenty of pressure on those flirting with the margins of qualification in both singles and doubles. While the top stars will be looking to win medals, and in the case of Marin and Jørgensen defend their titles, there are many more trying to get the win that takes them over the threshold of Olympic qualification just as Sabrina Jaquet did for Switzerland at the European Championships in Karlskrona four years ago by virtue of her quarter-final in the women’s singles.

The host nation itself will be looking to force its way onto the podium. Brice Leverdez will be looking to bring the form he showed in Kazan to La-Roche-Sur-Yon where he beat both

E V EN TS

« E S TABL IS H E D W OR L D STA R S S U CH AS JA N Ø. J ØR GE N S E N , CARO L INA M A R I N A N D V I KT OR AX E L S E N W I L L D R AW M U C H O F T HE AT T E N T I ON . »

Rajiv Ouseph and Jan Ø. Jørgensen at the European men’s and women’s team event. Ronan Labar and Emilie Lefel will look to achieve their Olympic ticket by medalling on home turf while in men’s doubles, Gaetan Mittelheisser and Bastian Kersaudy will also have their sights set on a career defining European medal. All three are realistic targets for the French players and with home support on their side are distinctly within the realms of achievable.

The region itself is a tourism hotspot with the department boasting a staggering 200km of Atlantic coastline comprising mostly of sandy beaches. Inland the rolling hills and forests are a haven for wildlife while the Puy Du Fou historical theme park attracts in excess of 1.5 million visitors per year representing plenty to see and do if you are going to the European Championships this year and looking for some time out watching the stars of European badminton.

The tournament itself runs between 26th April and 1st May and Badminton Europe will be on hand streaming the event as well as bringing full photo, video and written coverage via our website and social media platforms.

For more information, visit the official tournament website at www.badminton2016.com

When 26th April – 1st May 2016 Where La-Roche-Sur-Yon, France www.badminton2016.com BADMINTON EUROPE

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CO N MY TO TEPN - 5T SO NGS

ANDERS ANTONSEN

MY TOP 5 FAVORITE SONGS OF ALL TIME 1 . F ML – K A NYE W E S T I’m a big fan of Kanye West and The Weeknd who also participates in this song. A new song from Kanye’s new album - I can‘t stop listening to it!

2 . N U MB / ENC O R E – JA Y Z AN D L IN KIN P A R K Love hearing this song right before a match! It gets me in the right mood and really motivates me!

Feel like im intouchable when it goes on.where I don’t have to think too much and just sit back and enjoy or laugh.

3 . S HUTDOWN – S K E P TA Skepta is one of my favourite rappers. This song helps me to get the confidence I need going into a match.

4 . N O CHU R C H I N T HE W IL D – K AN YE W ES T A N D J AY Z Just an amazing song I could listen to all day! An amazing collaboration between Kanye West, Jay Z and Frank Ocean.

5. LOW L IFE - FU T U RE AND TH E W EEKN D „Low Life“ is probably my favourite song at the moment! Especially „The weeknd“ is amazing in this one. I use it for both relaxing and as a pre match song!

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PETER GADE Inducted into Danish Hall of Fame

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PORTR A I T

Article by Manuel Rösler

Peter Gade, winner of a record five European Championships crowns in the men’s singles, was inducted into the Danish Hall of Fame of Sports in January. The 39 year-old Dane held the world number one ranking for 246 weeks. In his 16-year career he captured 24 Superseries/Grand Prix titles and reached the final in 17 additional tournaments.

His titles include the All-England singles crown in 1999, three Japan Opens and four Korea Opens. „I‘m really proud and honoured about entering the „Hall Of Fame“ of Danish sports. Being part of this list of great personalities and athletes, some of them being an idol for myself growing up as a kid, is very special“, said Peter Gade. „Being a national coach of France now, you tend to look at things in a different perspective and really appreciate the badminton culture in Denmark, because it is a very special thing - and the main reason for me entering the „Hall Of Fame“ today. I was formed and inspired by coaches, players and other volunteers from a lot of different clubs and societies in Denmark, all had an impact on my badminton life and life in general. That is special and I‘m grateful for that.“ Other former badminton players who were inducted into the Hall of Fame were Erland Kops, Lene Køppen, Morten Frost, Poul-Erik Høyer and Camilla Martin.

The Danish Hall of Fame, established in 1992 as the sport‘s official Hall of Fame by the Danish Sports Federation, has inducted 32 athletes representing 12 sports.

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« B E I N G PA RT OF T H I S L I ST OF GR E AT PE R S ON A L I T I E S A N D AT H L E T E S, S OM E OF T H E M B E I N G A N I D OL F OR M Y SE L F GR OW I N G U P A S A KI D , I S V E RY S PE C I A L . »

Peter Gade European Champion 1998, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2010 World Championships Silver 2001, Bronze 1999, 2005, 2010, 2011 All-England Championships 1999 Denmark Open 2008, 2000 und 1998 Korea Open 2009. 2005, 2001, 2000 Japan Open 1999, 1998 Taiwan Open 1997, 2000 Malaysia Open 2007, 1998 Singapore Open 2006 US Open 2002 German Open 1997 Swiss Open 1998 Hong-Kong Open 1997 World-Grand-Prix Finale 1999 BWF Super-Series-Finalist 2010, 2008

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DEVEL OP M E N T

TECHNICAL OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES IN 2016

BEC INT E RNAT IO N A L U M PI R E C OU R SE 16–22 M a r c h L u bin, Pol an d 201 6 Eur o pean U17 Ch a m p i o n s h i p s 8–12 Ju n e Kau nas , L i t h uan i a Yon ex L i t h uan i an I n t e r n a t i o n a l 2016

BEC AC C RE D I T E D U M PI R E A S S E SS M E N T 18–24 S e p t e mb e r P odcet r t ek, S l oveni a 201 6 Eur o pean S e n i o r Ch a m p i o n s h i p s

BEC CE RT IF I C AT E D U M PI R E A S S E SS M E N T 1–6 Nov e mb e r Saarbr ücken , G er m a n y Birbur g er Open 2 0 16

BEC RE FE RE E C O UR SE 14–17 S e p t e mb e r L eu ven , B el g i um Yon ex B el g i an I n t e r n a t i o n a l 2016

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T OUR N A M E N T R ES U LTS 51T H PO RT U G U E S E I N T E R N AT I ON A L C H A M PI ON S H IPS MS: NILUKA KARUNARATNE (SRI) – GABRIEL ULLDAHL (SWE) 21:17 21:13 WS: MIA BLICHFELDT (DEN) – CHLOE BIRCH (ENG) 21:12 21:14 MD: ONG YEW SIN/TEO EE YI (MAS) – DO TUAN DUC/PHAM HONG NAM (VIE) 21:17 24:22 WD: GOH YEA CHING/PECK YEN WEI (MAS) – CHLOE BIRCH/SARAH WALKER (ENG) 21:9 21:15 XD: MIKKEL MIKKELSEN/MAI SURROW (DEN) – DO TUAN DUC/PHAM NHU THAO (VIE) 21:19 17:21 21:19 45T H A U S T RIAN O PE N MS: ANDERS ANTONSEN (DEN) – KANTA TSUNEYAMA (JPN) 21:9 21:17 WS: XU WEI (CHN) – OLGA KONON (GER) 22:20 21:15 MD: MARCUS ELLIS/CHRIS LANGRIDGE (ENG) – KENYA MITSUHASHI/YUTA WATANABE (JPN) 21:14 21:16 WD: EKATERINA BOLOTOVA/EVGENIYA KOSETSKAYA (RUS) – EVA LEE/PAULA LYNN OBANANA (USA) 21:11 23:21 XD: MATHIAS CHRISTIANSEN/LENA GREBAK (DEN) – MATTHEW NOTTINGHAM/EMILY WESTWOOD (ENG) 21:17 21:17 ICE LAN D I NT E RNAT ION A L MS: KIM BRUUN (DEN) – PEDRO MARTINS (POR) 10:21 21:14 21:16 WS: JULIE DAWALL JAKOBSEN (DEN) – AIRI MIKKELA (FIN) 19:21 21:15 21:16 MD: CHRISTOPHER COLES/ADAM HALL (ENG/SCO) – BEN LANE/SEAN VENDY (ENG) 21:19 21:19 WD: JESSICA PUGH/SARAH WALKER (ENG) – CHLOE BIRCH/JENNY WALLWORK (ENG) 21:10 10:21 21:17 XD: ANTON KAISTI/CHERYL SEINEN (FIN/NED) – PAWEL PIETRYJA/ANETA WOJTKOWSKA (POL) 22:20 21:18 SWEDI S H M AS T E RS I N T E R N AT I ON A L C H A M PI ON S H IPS MS: ANDERS ANTONSEN (DEN) – MATTIAS BORG (SWE) 21:12 21:10 WS: KARIN SCHNAASE (GER) – OLGA KONON (GER) 21:16 20:22 21:19 (65 MIN) MD: MATHIAS CHRISTIANSEN/DAVID DAUGAARD (DEN) – KIM ASTRUP/ANDERS SKAARUP (DEN) 21:19 21:23 21:19 WD: MAIKEN FRUERGAARD/SARA THYGESEN (DEN) – SAMANTHA BARNING/IRIS TABELING (NED) 21:19 21:17 XD: ROBERT MATEUSIAK/NADIEZDA ZIEBA (POL) – MATHIAS CHRISTIANSEN/LENA GREBAK (DEN) 21:10 21:13.

YO NEX E S T O NI AN IN T E R N AT I ON A L MS: VILLE LANG (FIN) – LUCAS CLAERBOUT (FRA) 21:17 21:19 WS: LIANNE TAN (BEL) – MARIA ULITINA (UKR) 21:19 21:14 MD: JONES RALFY JANSEN/JOSCHE ZURWONNE (GER) – MARTIN CAMPBELL/PATRICK MACHUGH (SCO) 21:15 21:18 WD: ANASTASIA CHERVYAKOVA/OLGA MOROZOVA (RUS) – KRISTIN KUUBA/HELINA RÜÜTEL (EST) 21:14 21:15 XD: ALEXANDR ZINCHENKO/OLGA MOROZOVA (RUS) – BASTIAN KERSAUDY/LEA PALERMO (FRA) 21:19 21:18 ME RSIN B. B T Ü RK I YE I N T E R N AT I ON A L 2 0 1 5 MS: MARC ZWIEBLER (GER) – HARSHEEL DANI (IND) 21:8 15:21 21:7 WS: KARIN SCHNAASE (GER) – KATI TOLMOFF (EST) 21:17 21:5 MD: KASPER ANTONSEN/NICLAS NØHR (DEN) – ADAM CWALINA/PRZEMYSLAW WACHA (POL) 21:16 21:15 WD: GABRIELA STOEVA/STEFANI STOEVA (BUL) – OZGE BAYRAK/NESLIHAN YIGIT (TUR) 21:19 21:12 XD: ROBERT MATEUSIAK/NADIEZDA ZIEBA (POL) – MATTHEW CHAU/GRONYA SOMERVILLE (AUS) 21:12 21:13

BADMINTON EUROPE

63

Y ON EX GERMA N O P E N Did we see the great Lin Dan at the Yonex German Open for the last time?

The Chinese superstar won his sixth German Open trophy by beating Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan in three games. It was also Chen who beat title holder Jan Ă˜. Jørgensen in the semi-finals of the 120.000 Dollars event.

64

COPNI C IN TETU NRTE S

BADMINTON EUROPE

65

1

VLADIMIR IVANOV

SUPERSERIES VICTORY

9 28

WORLD RANKING

YEARS OLD

2

66

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS

1.97 HEIGHT NATIONALITY:

IVAN SOZONOV

1 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS

1.83

26

HEIGHT

YEARS OLD

RUSSIAN BADMINTON EUROPE

67