The BWF World Championships is the the most coveted badminton tournament in a calendar year. It offers not just a handsome prize money but also the most ranking points.
The tournament started in 1977 and was held once every three years until 1983. Since 1985, the tournament became biennial and played once every two years until 2005. Starting 2006, the tournament was changed to an annual event on the BWF calendar. The tournament is not held during the Summer Olympics years to avoid schedule conflicts.
From 1977 up to 2001, the medals at BWF World Championships were usually divided among five countries, namely China, Korea, Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia. However, in 2003, the winners included seven countries and in 2005 the medal board contained a record high of ten countries.
China is the most successful nation at BWF World Championships with 70 titles. They were the only country ever to achieve a shutout of the medals which they did in 1987, 2010 and 2011.
Since inaugural edition of BWF World Championships in 1977, only 21 countries have achieved at least a bronze medal in the tournament: eleven in Asia, eight in Europe, one in Pan America and one in Oceania. Africa is the only continent that has not won a medal.
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Here is a list of players who have won BWF World Championships title:
Also Read: BWF World Championships: Top 3 Players With Most Titles
BWF World Championships: List of Winners
Men’s singles
- 1977 – Flemming Delfs (Denmark)
- 1980 – Rudy Hartono (Indonesia)
- 1983 – Icuk Sugiarto (Indonesia)
- 1985 – Han Jian (China)
- 1987 – Yang Yang (China)
- 1989 – Yang Yang (China)
- 1991 – Zhao Jianhua (China)
- 1993 – Joko Suprianto (Indonesia)
- 1995 – Hariyano Arbi (Indonesia)
- 1997 – Peter Rasmussen (Denmark)
- 1999 – Sun Jun (China)
- 2001 – Hendrawan (Indonesia)
- 2003 – Xia Xuanze (China)
- 2005 – Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia)
- 2006 – Lin Dan (China)
- 2007 – Lin Dan (China)
- 2009 – Lin Dan (China)
- 2010 – Chen Jin (China)
- 2011 – Lin Dan (China)
- 2013 – Lin Dan (China)
- 2014 – Chen Long (China)
- 2015 – Chen Long (China)
- 2017 – Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
- 2018 – Kento Momota (Japan)
- 2019 – Kento Momota (Japan)
- 2021 – Loh Kean Yew (Singapore)
- 2022 – Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
- 2023 – Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand)
- 2024- Shi Yuqi (China)
Women’s singles
- 1977 – Lene Koppen (Denmark)
- 1980 – Verawaty Wiharjo (Indonesia)
- 1983 – Li Lingwei (China)
- 1985 – Han Aping (China)
- 1987 – Han Aping (China)
- 1989 – Li Lingwei (China)
- 1991 – Tang Jiuhong (China)
- 1993 – Susi Susanti (Indonsia)
- 1995 – Ye Zhaoying (China)
- 1997 – Ye Zhaoying (China)
- 1999 – Camila Martin (Denmark)
- 2001 – Gong Ruiana (China)
- 2003 – Zhang Ning (China)
- 2005 – Xie Xingfan (China)
- 2006 – Xie Xingfan (China)
- 2007 – Zhu Lin (China)
- 2009 – Lu Lan (China)
- 2010 – Wang Lin (China)
- 2011 – Wang Yihan (China)
- 2013 – Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)
- 2014 – Carolina Marin (Spain)
- 2015 – Carolina Marin (Spain)
- 2017 – Nozomi Okuhara (Japan)
- 2018 – Carolina Marin (Spain)
- 2019 – PV Sindhu (India)
- 2021 – Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
- 2022 – Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
- 2023 – An Se Young (Korea)
- 2024- Wang Zhiyi (China)
Men’s doubles
- 1977 – Tjun Tjun/Johan Wahjudi
- 1980 – Ade Chandra/Christian Hadinata
- 1983 – Steen Fladberg/Jesper Helledie
- 1985 – Park Joo-bong/Kim Moon-soo
- 1987 – Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi
- 1989 – Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi
- 1991 – Park Joo-bong/Kim Moon-soo
- 1993 – Ricky Subagja/Rudy Gunawan
- 1995 – Rexy Mainaky/Ricky Subagja
- 1997 – Candra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto
- 1999 – Ha Tae-kwon/Kim Dong-moon
- 2001 – Halim Haryanto/Tony Gunawan
- 2003 – Lars Paaske/Jonas Rasmussen
- 2005 – Howard Bach/Tony Gunawan
- 2006 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng
- 2007 – Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan
- 2009 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng
- 2010 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng
- 2011 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng
- 2013 – Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan
- 2014 – Ko Sung-hyun/Shin Baek-cheol
- 2015 – Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan
- 2017 – Liu Cheng/Zhang Nan
- 2018 – Li Junhui/Liu Yuchen
- 2019 – Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan
- 2021 – Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi
- 2022 – Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik
- 2023 – Kang Min Hyuk/SEO Seung Jae (Korea)
- 2024- Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (Denmark)
Women’s doubles
- 1977 – Etsuko Toganoo/Emiko Ueno
- 1980 – Nora Perry/Jane Webster
- 1983 – Lin Ying/Wu Dixi
- 1985 – Han Aiping/Li Lingwei
- 1987 – Lin Ying/Guan Weizhen
- 1989 – Lin Ying/Guan Weizhen
- 1991 – Guan Weizhen/Nong Qunhua
- 1993 – Nong Qunhua/Zhou Lei
- 1995 – Gil Young-ah/Jang Hye-ock
- 1997 – Ge Fei/Gu Jun
- 1999 – Ge Fei/Gu Jun
- 2001 – Gao Ling/Huang Sui
- 2003 – Gao Ling/Huang Sui
- 2005 – Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen
- 2006 – Gao Ling/Huang Sui
- 2007 – Zhang Jiewen/Yang Wei
- 2009 – Zhang Yawen/Zhao Tingting
- 2010 – Du Jing/Yu Yang
- 2011 – Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang
- 2013 – Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang
- 2014 – Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei
- 2015 – Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei
- 2017 – Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan
- 2018 – Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara
- 2019 – Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara
- 2021 – Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan
- 2022 – Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan
- 2023 – Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan (China)
- 2024- Baek Ha Na/ Lee So Hee
Mixed doubles
- 1977 – Steen Skovgaard/Lene Køppen
- 1980 – Christian Hadinata/Imelda Wiguno
- 1983 – Thomas Kihlström/Nora Perry
- 1985 – Park Joo-bong/Yoo Sang-hee
- 1987 – Wang Pengren/Shi Fangjing
- 1989 – Park Joo-bong/Chung Myung-hee
- 1991 – Park Joo-bong/Chung Myung-hee
- 1993 – Thomas Lund/Catrine Bengtsson
- 1995 – Thomas Lund/Marlene Thomsen
- 1997 – Liu Yong/Ge Fei
- 1999 – Kim Dong-moon/Ra Kyung-min
- 2001 – Zhang Jun/Gao Ling
- 2003 – Kim Dong-moon/Ra Kyung-min
- 2005 – Nova Widianto/Liliyana Natsir
- 2006 – Nathan Robertson/Gail Emms
- 2007 – Nova Widianto/Liliyana Natsir
- 2009 – Thomas Laybourn/Kamilla Rytter Juhl
- 2010 – Zheng Bo/Ma Jin
- 2011 – Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei
- 2013 – Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir
- 2014 – Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei
- 2015 – Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei
- 2017 – Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir
- 2018 – Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong
- 2019 – Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong
- 2021 – Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai
- 2022 – Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong
- 2023 – SEO Seung Jae/Chae Yu Jung (Korea)
- 2024- Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong
