From Alex Lanier’s historic triumph to An Se-young’s title defense: 2026 BWF World Championship champions crowned | badminton news
NEW DELHI: The BWF World Championship 2026 came to a dramatic close in New Delhi on Sunday, with five champions crowned in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.The tournament, which ran from August 17 to 23, produced historic victories for France and South Korea, while China also finished with a title. France enjoyed a particularly memorable day when Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue and Alex Lanier won the men’s mixed doubles and singles crowns respectively.
Alex Lanier does French history
Alex Lanier saved his best performance for the final, defeating Japan’s Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 to become the first Frenchman to win the world men’s singles title.
Ninth-seeded Lanier needed only about 50 minutes to complete a dominant victory over 10th-seeded Naraoka.Lanier’s run to the title was much more challenging heading into the finals. He came from behind to defeat defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 19-21, 21-16, 21-16 in the quarterfinals and then beat Canadian Victor Lai 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 in the semifinals.
An Se-young successfully defends women’s singles crown
South Korea’s An Se-young added another major title to her collection by defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14 in the women’s singles final. The opening game was very close, with Yamaguchi staying within striking distance for much of the contest. An Se-young, however, held her nerve in the closing stages to take the first game 21-17.The Korean then established greater control in the second game and closed the match 21-14, securing her second women’s singles title at the World Championships.
Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang conquer the men’s doubles
Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of China captured the world men’s doubles title after defeating Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin of Malaysia 21-17, 21-16.
The Chinese pair established control in the opening game and withstood Malaysia’s challenge to win 21-17. They maintained the intensity in the second and completed the championship victory by 21-16.Goh and Nur had enjoyed a strong campaign to reach the final, including wins over Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi-Lin and a quarter-final appearance against South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae. However, Liang and Wang proved to be too consistent in the final.
Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee ends South Korea’s 31-year wait
South Korea’s Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee ended a 31-year wait for their country in women’s doubles by beating top-seeded Chinese pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning 21-15, 21-15. The Korean duo, ranked third in the world, put in a controlled performance against the Chinese leaders and never allowed the final to become a deciding match.The victory gave South Korea its first women’s doubles World Championship title since 1995, when Gil Young-ah and Jang Hye-ouk won the crown.
Gicquel-Delrue award first world title to France
France’s historic day in New Delhi began with Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue winning the mixed doubles title. The French pair stunned world No. 1 seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping of China 22-20, 19-21, 21-15 in a fiercely contested final.Gicquel and Delrue had to survive a tight first game before taking the score 22-20. The Chinese pair responded in the second, winning 21-19 to force a decider, but the French duo held their nerve and pulled away in the third game to win 21-15.The win was historic as it gave France its first gold medal at a BWF World Championship. Lanier then followed up his achievement by winning the men’s singles title, making it a remarkable double for French badminton on the final day.
