Gong Zhichao (simplified Chinese: 龚智超; traditional Chinese: 龔智超; pinyin: Gōng Zhìchāo; born 15 December 1977) is a former badminton player from the People's Republic of China.

Gong Zhichao
龚智超
Personal information
CountryChina
Born (1977-12-15) 15 December 1977 (age 46)
Anhua, Hunan, China
Height1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight53 kg (117 lb)
CoachLi Lingwei
Women's singles
Highest ranking1
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  China
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Women's singles
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1997 Glasgow Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Seville Women's singles
World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Yogyakarta Women's singles
Sudirman Cup
Gold medal – first place 2001 Seville Mixed team
Gold medal – first place 1999 Copenhagen Mixed team
Gold medal – first place 1997 Glasgow Mixed team
Uber Cup
Gold medal – first place 2000 Kuala Lumpur Women's team
Gold medal – first place 1998 Hong Kong Women's team
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1998 Bangkok Women's team
Silver medal – second place 1998 Bangkok Women's singles
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 1996 Surabaya Women's singles
Silver medal – second place 1998 Bangkok Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Kuala Lumpur Women's singles
BWF profile

Career

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Gong was one of the world's leading women's singles players between her first international titles in 1996 and her retirement in 2002. She won some of the world's biggest tournaments, including the venerable All-England Championship consecutively in 2000 and 2001 over fellow countrywomen Dai Yun and Zhou Mi respectively in the finals. Her other titles included the 1996 Asian Championships, the 2000 Copenhagen Masters; and the Denmark (1996), Swedish (1997), China (1997), Japan (1998, 2000), and Malaysia (2000) Opens. At the then biennial IBF (BWF) World Championships Gong was a silver medalist behind fellow countrywoman Ye Zhaoying in 1997, and a bronze medalist in 2001. She played winning singles for Chinese Uber Cup (women's international) teams that reclaimed the world team title from Indonesia in 1998, and retained the title in 2000.

Unfortunately for Gong, her biggest triumph in an event for individual players, women's singles at the 2000 Olympic Games, is tainted by controversy. According to his later statement, China's head badminton coach Li Yongbo instructed Gong's semifinal opponent, teammate Ye Zhaoying, to "throw" the match against her, on his assumption that Gong would have the better chance to defeat Denmark's Camilla Martin in the final.[1] Whatever the effect of these "instructions" on Ye, a two time former IBF World Champion, she lost the match to Gong 8-11, 8-11, who in turn defeated reigning IBF World Champion Martin for the gold medal 13–10, 11–3.

Achievements

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Olympic Games

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2000 The Dome, Sydney, Australia   Camilla Martin 13–10, 11–3   Gold

World Championships

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2001 Palacio de Deportes de San Pablo, Seville, Spain   Gong Ruina 10–13, 4–11   Bronze
1997 Scotstoun Centre, Glasgow, Scotland   Ye Zhaoying 11–12, 8–11   Silver

World Cup

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1997 Yogyakarta, Indonesia   Susi Susanti 10–13, 9–11   Bronze

Asian Games

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1998 Thammasat Gymnasium 2, Bangkok, Thailand   Kanako Yonekura 11–1, 5–11, 6–11   Silver

Asian Championships

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1999 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia   Ye Zhaoying 2–11, 4–11   Bronze
1998 Bangkok, Thailand   Ye Zhaoying 5–11, 12–11   Silver
1996 Surabaya, Indonesia   Lee Joo-hyun 11–7, 11–1   Gold

IBF World Grand Prix

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The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) since 1983.

Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2001 All England Open   Zhou Mi 11–7, 11–3   Winner
2000 Grand Prix Finals   Zhou Mi 5–7, 7–5, 1–7, 0–7   Runner-up
2000 Malaysia Open   Dai Yun 11–6, 11–8   Winner
2000 Japan Open   Ye Zhaoying 11–7, 11–3   Winner
2000 All England Open   Dai Yun 11–5, 8–11, 11–5   Winner
1999 Singapore Open   Ye Zhaoying 5–11, 11–5, 7–11   Runner-up
1999 Japan Open   Ye Zhaoying 11–1, 5–11, 6–11   Runner-up
1998 Swedish Open   Kim Ji-hyun 10–12, 8–11   Runner-up
1998 Japan Open   Ye Zhaoying 11–1, 11–4   Winner
1997 China Open   Dai Yun 11–1, 11–5   Winner
1997 Singapore Open   Mia Audina 6–11, 6–11   Runner-up
1997 All England Open   Ye Zhaoying 3–11, 1–11   Runner-up
1997 Swedish Open   Ra Kyung-min 11–4, 11–4   Winner
1997 Korea Open   Ye Zhaoying 11–6, 10–12, 4–11   Runner-up
1997 Japan Open   Mia Audina 3–11, 11–2, 5–11   Runner-up
1996 Denmark Open   Marina Andrievskaya 12–11, 11–4   Winner
1996 Russian Open   Han Jingna 7–11, 5–11   Runner-up

References

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  1. ^ "Chinese Coach Admits the Team Decision in Women's Singles of Badminton in 2000 Sydney Olympic Games".
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