With 2nd straight gold, An Se-young cements case as greatest shuttler of her generation
ICHINOMIYA, Japan — At 24 and still in her athletic prime, shuttler An Se-young has already accomplished more in the past couple of years than what many would take their entire career to achieve. She won the world titles in 2023 and 2026, and also an Olympic gold in 2024. She has held the No. 1 ranking in the women's singles for over 100 weeks. In 2025, An won a record 11 international titles and…
Ichinomiya, Japan — At the age of 24 and still in peak physical condition, badminton athlete An Se-young has achieved more in her early career than many players attain over a lifetime. She secured world championships in 2023 and 2026, along with an Olympic gold in 2024. An has held the No. 1 position in women's singles for over 100 weeks.
In 2025, she claimed an unprecedented 11 international titles and became the first player in badminton history to earn more than $1 million in prize money during a single season. The South Korean sensation once again etched her name in the record books at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in central Japan. By defeating Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the women's singles final with a 2-0 score (21-17, 21-9), An became the first player to win consecutive women's singles gold medals in the event's history.
The women's singles category was introduced in 1962. With this remarkable achievement, An has solidified her position as the greatest badminton player of her generation, if not all time. Despite facing fierce competition in Asia, An emerged triumphant in Icheon with remarkable ease.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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