Alex Lanier becomes first Frenchman to win badminton world title
Lanier beat Japan's Kodai Naraoka to claim gold in New Delhi. Moments earlier, French pair Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue won mixed doubles, also winning France's first-ever world championship title in the sport.
Alex Lanier of France secured the world badminton championship title on Saturday, becoming the first singles player from his country to achieve this feat. In a decisive men's final at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the 21-year-old Lanier defeated Japan's Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11. Lanier, the world number 10, celebrated his victory by jumping in delight and embracing his coach after standing on the podium.
The final saw Lanier dominating from the start, leading 11-9 in the opening game and maintaining his momentum with a 8-3 lead in the second game. Naraoka, the world number 11, put up a strong fight but eventually succumbed to Lanier's relentless attack and defence. In the mixed doubles final, France's Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue triumphed over China's top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping, marking a historic first-ever world championship gold for France.
Delrue expressed her emotions, stating that it was an amazing match and that the pair had to try their best to secure the win. Gicquel added that it was an amazing experience to hear the national anthem on the podium for the first time, standing between two Chinese flags. In the women's doubles final, South Korea's Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee triumphed over China's top-ranked pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning with a score of 21-15, 21-15.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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