Badminton is a relatively young Olympic sport. It took more than a century to go from a game played by British officers in India to a full medal sport at Barcelona 1992. This timeline traces the history of Olympic badminton: the long road to inclusion, each Games since 1992, and the players and nations that defined each era.
This article focuses on history. For how the Olympic tournament works today, including qualification, the group stage and the rules, read our companion guide to Olympic badminton rules, format and famous matches.
Before the Olympics: 1870s to 1980s
Games with a shuttlecock and bats are centuries old, but modern badminton took shape in British India in the mid-19th century, where a version was played in and around Poona (now Pune). Officers brought it back to England, and the name comes from Badminton House, the Duke of Beaufort’s estate in Gloucestershire, where the game was played.
The key milestones before Olympic recognition:
- 1893: the Badminton Association of England is formed and publishes standard rules.
- 1899: the first All England Championships are held. For decades this was the sport’s unofficial world championship.
- 1934: the International Badminton Federation (IBF) is founded. It was renamed the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in 2006.
- 1948-49: the first Thomas Cup, the men’s world team championship.
- 1956-57: the first Uber Cup for women’s teams.
- 1977: the first individual World Championships are held in Malmö, Sweden.
Demonstration Events: 1972 and 1988
Badminton first appeared at the Olympics as a demonstration sport at Munich 1972, with players from the leading nations of the time, including Indonesia and Denmark. It returned as an exhibition event at Seoul 1988.
In between, a political split in the sport was resolved. In 1978 a group of nations led by China, which was then outside the IBF, formed a rival World Badminton Federation. The dispute centred on the IBF’s recognition of Taiwan and its refusal to expel South Africa’s association during apartheid. The two bodies reunited in 1981, which brought China fully into international competition and made a single, unified sport a stronger Olympic candidate. The IOC then confirmed badminton as a full medal sport for 1992.
Olympic Badminton Timeline, 1992 to Today
Barcelona 1992: the debut
Four events were held: men’s and women’s singles and doubles. Indonesia won both singles titles on the same day through Susi Susanti and Alan Budikusuma, the country’s first Olympic golds in any sport. The couple later married. South Korea won both doubles events.
Atlanta 1996: mixed doubles added
Mixed doubles joined the programme, completing the five-event format used ever since. Denmark’s Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen won men’s singles, and South Korea’s Bang Soo-hyun won women’s singles.
Sydney 2000: China’s rise
China won four of the five gold medals, including mixed doubles through Zhang Jun and Gao Ling. Ji Xinpeng was the surprise men’s singles champion, beating top seed Taufik Hidayat in the quarter-finals and Indonesia’s Hendrawan in the final.
Athens 2004: the last Games of the old scoring
Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat won men’s singles and China’s Zhang Ning won women’s singles. These were the last Olympics played under the old 15-point side-out scoring; the BWF adopted 21-point rally scoring in 2006.
Beijing 2008: Lin Dan at home
Lin Dan won men’s singles in front of a home crowd, beating Lee Chong Wei in the final. Zhang Ning retained her singles title, and South Korea’s Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung won mixed doubles.
London 2012: a clean sweep and a scandal
China won all five gold medals for the first time, and Lin Dan retained his title in a famous final against Lee Chong Wei. London also introduced the group stage, and four women’s doubles pairs were disqualified for trying to lose matches to manipulate the draw. India’s Saina Nehwal won bronze, her country’s first Olympic badminton medal.
Rio 2016: Europe and Japan break through
Spain’s Carolina Marín won women’s singles, the first women’s singles champion from outside Asia, beating India’s PV Sindhu in the final. Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi won women’s doubles, Japan’s first Olympic badminton gold. Chen Long won men’s singles for China.
Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021)
Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen won men’s singles and China’s Chen Yufei won women’s singles. Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin won Chinese Taipei’s first badminton gold in men’s doubles, and Indonesia’s Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu won women’s doubles.
Paris 2024
Axelsen and the Lee Yang/Wang Chi-lin pair both retained their titles. South Korea’s An Se-young won women’s singles, and China won both the women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Olympic Champions at a Glance
| Games | Men’s singles | Women’s singles |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 Barcelona | Alan Budikusuma (INA) | Susi Susanti (INA) |
| 1996 Atlanta | Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen (DEN) | Bang Soo-hyun (KOR) |
| 2000 Sydney | Ji Xinpeng (CHN) | Gong Zhichao (CHN) |
| 2004 Athens | Taufik Hidayat (INA) | Zhang Ning (CHN) |
| 2008 Beijing | Lin Dan (CHN) | Zhang Ning (CHN) |
| 2012 London | Lin Dan (CHN) | Li Xuerui (CHN) |
| 2016 Rio | Chen Long (CHN) | Carolina Marín (ESP) |
| 2020 Tokyo | Viktor Axelsen (DEN) | Chen Yufei (CHN) |
| 2024 Paris | Viktor Axelsen (DEN) | An Se-young (KOR) |
Several of these champions appear in our list of the top 10 badminton players of all time.
What the Olympic History Shows
- China’s depth: China has won more Olympic badminton medals than any other nation, and its strength across all five events is unmatched.
- Indonesia and South Korea: both have won gold at multiple Games, especially in doubles.
- Denmark as Europe’s flagbearer: from Høyer Larsen in 1996 to Axelsen’s two titles, Denmark has produced most of Europe’s Olympic success, with Spain’s Marín the other standout.
- Women’s badminton on equal terms: from the first Games, women competed in the same number of events as men. The stories of players like Susanti, Zhang Ning and Marín are covered in our feature on women in badminton.
The 2012 final between Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei remains the most celebrated Olympic match. We explain why in what is the greatest badminton match of all time?
Frequently Asked Questions
When did badminton become an Olympic sport?
Badminton became a full Olympic medal sport at Barcelona 1992, after appearing as a demonstration event in 1972 and an exhibition event in 1988.
When was mixed doubles added to the Olympics?
At Atlanta 1996.
Will badminton be at the next Olympics?
Yes. Badminton is on the programme for Los Angeles 2028 (14 to 30 July 2028), at the USC Sports Center. It is expected to be the first Olympics played under the BWF’s new 15-point scoring, which takes effect on 4 January 2027.
