Cai Yun

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Cai Yun bigraphy, stories - Badminton player

Cai Yun : biography

19 January 1980 –

Cai Yun ( born January 19, 1980 in Suzhou, Jiangsu) is a male badminton player from the People’s Republic of China.

Career

Combining Cai Yun’s impressive speed with his regular partner Fu Haifeng’s impressive power, Cai and Fu have been one of the world’s leading men’s doubles teams since 2004. They have won numerous top tier events on the world circuit including the venerable All England Open Championships in 2005 and 2009. They have won the BWF World Championships 4 times in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011, becoming the first Men’s Doubles pair to achieve this feat. Cai and Fu have helped China win five consecutive Thomas Cup (Men’s Team World Badminton Championships) (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012) and four consecutive Sudirman Cup (World Team Championships) (2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011). Cai and Fu also competed together in the Olympic games 3 times, including the 2004, the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2012 Olympic Games. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2004, and in 2008 in Beijing were silver medalists, losing a close final to Indonesia’s Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan.

At the 2010 BWF World Championships, they, being the fifth-seed, beat the third-seed Danish pair Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen 21–11, 21–18 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they defeated the second-seed Indonesian Olympic Champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan 21–16, 21–13. In the finals, they overcame the first-seed and Malaysian world no. 1 Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong 18–21, 21–18, 21–14 to win the world title for the 3rd time. They are the first Men’s Doubles pair to achieve this feat.

Cai and Fu went on to win the Li-Ning China Masters Super Series. Being the fifth-seed, they first defeated their second-seed compatriots Xu Chen and Guo Zhendong 21–11, 21–16 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they made a great comeback against the third-seed South Korean rival Lee Yong Dae and Jung Jae Sung 20–22, 21–13, 21–17. Cai and Fu then clinched their second China Masters title by defeating the fourth-seed South Korean pair Yoo Yeon Seong and Ko Sung Hyun in 2 sets 21–14, 21–19. Cai and Fu won their third title in a row by winning the Yonex Japan Open Super Series. They, being the fifth-seed, beat the young Korean Pair Cho Gun Woo and Kwon Yi Goo 21–14, 16–21, 21–12 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they defeated their promising compatriots Zhang Nan and Chai Biao 21–17, 21–16. In the finals, they made a great comeback again against the first-seed and Malaysian world no. 1 Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong 18–21, 21–14, 21–12 to win their first Japan Open title.

In the 2012 Summer Olympics, they defeated Denmark’s Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen in the final to win the gold medal.

Having had 1 Olympic gold medal and 4 World Championship titles, as well as many other titles, Cai and Fu is one of the most successfully men’s doubles pair in badminton history. They have expressed the will to continue their career together as long as they can after the London Olympics.

Titles

Rank Event Date Venue
Olympic Games
1 Doubles 2012 London, United Kingdom
2 Doubles 2008 Beijing, China
Asian Games
1 Team 2010 Guangzhou, China
1 Team 2006 Doha, Qatar
World Championships
1 Doubles 2011 London, United Kingdom
1 Doubles 2010 Paris, France
1 Doubles 2009 Hyderabad, India
1 Doubles 2006 Madrid, Spain
3 Doubles 2003 Birmingham, United Kingdom
Sudirman Cup
1 Team 2011 Qingdao, China
1 Team 2009 Guangzhou, China
1 Team 2007 Glasgow, Scotland
1 Team 2005 Beijing, China
2 Team 2003 Eindhoven, Netherlands
Thomas Cup
1 Team 2010 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1 Team 2008 Jakarta, Indonesia
1 Team 2006 Sendai and Tokyo, Japan
1 Team 2004 Jakarta, Indonesia
World Cup
1 Doubles 2005 Yiyang, China
PRC National Games
1 Doubles 2009 Shandong, China
1 Team 2009 Shandong, China
1 Doubles 2005 Jiangsu, China
1 Team 2005 Jiangsu, China
International Tournaments
1 Doubles 2012 Korea Open Super Series Premier
1 Doubles 2011 Yonex Japan Open Super Series
1 Doubles 2011 Djarum Indonesia Open Super Series Premier
1 Doubles 2011 Li-Ning Singapore Open Super Series
1 Doubles 2011 Badminton Asia Championships
1 Doubles 2010 Yonex Japan Open Super Series
1 Doubles 2010 Li-Ning China Masters Super Series
1 Doubles 2009 Yonex All England Open Super Series
1 Doubles 2008 Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold
1 Doubles 2008 Yonex Korea Open Super Series
1 Doubles 2007 French Open Super Series
1 Doubles 2007 China Masters Super Series
1 Doubles 2007 Djarum Indonesia Open Super Series
1 Doubles 2007 Aviva Singapore Open Super Series
1 Doubles 2006 Copenhagen Masters
1 Doubles 2006 Macau Open
1 Doubles 2006 Chinese Taipei Open
1 Doubles 2005 Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open
1 Doubles 2005 Yonex All England Open
1 Doubles 2005 Yonex German Open
1 Doubles 2004 Swiss Open
2 Doubles 2011 Li-Ning China Masters Super Series
2 Doubles 2010 Victor Korea Open Super Series
2 Doubles 2009 Li-Ning China Masters Super Series
2 Doubles 2009 Djarum Indonesia Super Series
2 Doubles 2008 French Open Super Series
2 Doubles 2007 Yonex All England Open Super Series
2 Doubles 2006 China Open
2 Doubles 2006 China Masters
2 Doubles 2005 Proton Malaysia Open
2 Doubles 2004 Djarum Indonesia Open
2 Doubles 2004 Yonex Japan Open
2 Doubles 2003 Yonex German Open
2 Doubles 2003 Proton Eon Malaysia Open
3 Doubles 2011 Yonex All England Open Super Series
3 Doubles 2011 Victor-BWF Super Series Finals
3 Doubles 2009 Wilson Swiss Open Super Series
3 Doubles 2008 Li-Ning China Masters Super Series
3 Doubles 2008 Proton Malaysia Open Super Series
3 Doubles 2007 Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open Super Series
3 Doubles 2007 Denmark Open Super Series
3 Doubles 2007 Macau Open Grand Prix Gold
3 Doubles 2006 Yonex Japan Open
3 Doubles 2006 Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open
3 Doubles 2006 Proton Malaysia Open
3 Doubles 2005 Yonex Japan Open
3 Doubles 2004 Yonex All England Open
3 Doubles 2003 China Open
3 Doubles 2003 Siam Cement Thailand Open
3 Doubles 2002 China Open