NEW DELHI, Aug 23: France’s Alex Lanier created badminton history on Sunday by becoming the first Frenchman to win the men’s singles title at the BWF World Championships.
The 21 year old produced a dominant display at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, defeating Japan’s Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 in the final. Lanier controlled the contest from the outset and completed the victory in under 50 minutes.
The triumph marks a landmark moment for French badminton, which had never previously produced a men’s singles world champion since the tournament began in 1977.
Lanier remained composed during the crucial stages of the opening game and turned a 7-9 deficit into a commanding advantage by winning 13 of the next 14 points. He maintained his momentum in the second game and closed out the championship with a series of powerful attacking shots.
France enjoys historic double
Lanier’s success came shortly after compatriots Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue won the mixed doubles title, giving France two gold medals at the championships.
Gicquel and Delrue defeated the top-seeded Chinese combination of Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping to secure France’s first world title in mixed doubles.
South Korea’s An Se-young also retained her women’s singles crown, defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14.
An’s latest victory strengthens her status as one of the leading players in women’s badminton, adding another world championship to her Olympic and continental achievements.
The tournament also produced a major breakthrough for South Korea in women’s doubles, where Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee ended a 31-year wait for their country to win the event.
For Lanier, however, the New Delhi triumph stands as the defining achievement of his young career and places him among the sport’s newest global stars.
