Chinese Badminton Star He Bingjiao Retires from International Competition After Paris 2024 Silver Medal

New Delhi: Chinese badminton player He Bingjiao has announced her retirement from international badminton at the age of 27. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) made the announcement on August 13. Although she will no longer compete internationally, He Bingjiao plans to continue participating in domestic tournaments.

He Bingjiao’s decision comes following a notable achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she secured a silver medal in the women’s singles event. In the final, she faced South Korea’s top-seeded player, An Se Young, and was defeated with scores of 13-21, 16-21. Despite the loss, this second-place finish stands as her most significant accomplishment in a major tournament. Her path to the final was marked by key victories, including a win over India’s PV Sindhu in the Round of 16 and a triumph over second seed Chen Yufei in the quarter-finals.

A memorable moment from the Paris Games was He Bingjiao’s tribute to Spanish shuttler Carolina Marin, who had to retire from their semi-final match due to injury. On the podium, He Bingjiao wore a Spanish pin to honor Marin, who was unable to pursue her second Olympic gold medal.

Throughout her career, He Bingjiao has demonstrated exceptional skill and resilience. Her career record includes 336 wins and 125 losses from 461 singles matches, with an impressive 27 victories out of 36 games in 2024 alone. She began her badminton journey with rigorous training at Suzhou Junior Sports School and made her senior international debut at the 2013 Vietnam Open.

He Bingjiao first gained prominence in 2014 by finishing as the runner-up in the BWF World Junior Championships to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. Later that year, she won gold at the Youth Olympic Games held in Nanjing. In addition to her individual successes, she played a key role in China’s victories in the Sudirman Cup and Uber Cup. She also earned bronze medals at the 2018 and 2021 World Championships.

Her retirement marks the end of a remarkable chapter in the sport, but her contributions and achievements will continue to inspire the badminton community.