The BWF World Championships, the marquee event for badminton players across the globe, has been held since 1977 and the winners are rewarded with a gold medal.
Started as an event held once every three years, the world championships was held once in two years from the fourth edition (1985) and continued like that until 2005, after which it became an annual event.
Five categories - men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles - are contested in knock out formats with the winner taking gold, runner up silver and the losing semifinalists taking a bronze medal each.
BWF World Championships: Indian medal winners in badminton’s marquee event
China have dominated the tournament, having won a total of 196 medals, including 70 gold, 48 silver and 80 bronze medals. The second highest is Indonesia, with 79 medals (23 gold, 19 silver, 37 bronze), followed by Denmark with 65.5 medals (11.5 gold, 14 silver, 40 bronze).
As it stands, the BWF has held 28 editions of the tournament. Now, let's take a look at BWF World Championships gold medal winners from 1977-2023 in all the five categories:
YEAR | HOST CITY | MEN'S SINGLES | WOMEN'S SINGLES | MEN'S DOUBLES | WOMEN'S DOUBLES | MIXED DOUBLES |
2023 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) | An Se Young (Korea) | Kang Min-hyuk & Seo Seung-jae (South Korea) | Chen Qingchen & Jia Yifan (China) | Seo Seung Jae & Chae Yu Jung (Korea) |
2022 | Tokyo, Japan | Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) | Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) | Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia) | Chen Qingchen & Jia Yifan (China) | Zheng Siwei & Huang Yaqiong (China) |
2021 | Huelva, Spain | Loh Kean Yew (Singapore) | Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) | Takuro Hoki & Yugo Kobayashi (Japan) | Chen Qingchen & Jia Yifan (China) | Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Thailand) |
2019 | Basel, Switzerland | Kento Momota (Japan) | PV Sindhu (india) | Mohammad Ahsan & Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia) | Mayu Matsumoto & Wakana Nagahara (Japan) | Zheng Siwei & Huang Yaqiong (China) |
2018 | Nanjing, China | Kento Momota (Japan) | Carolina Marin (Spain) | Li Junhui & Liu Yuchen (China) | Mayu Matsumoto & Wakana Nagahara (Japan) | Zheng Siwei & Huang Yaqiong (China) |
2017 | Glasgow, Scotland | Viktor Axelsen | Nozomi Okuhara | Liu Cheng & Zhang Nan | Chen Qingchen & Jia Yifan | Tontowi Ahmad & Liliyana Natsir |
2015 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Chen Long | Carolina Marin | Mohammad Ahsan & Hendra Setiawan | Tian Qing & Zhao Yunlei | Zhang Nan & Zhao Yunlei |
2014 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Chen Long | Carolina Marin | Ko Sung-Hyun & Shin Baek-Cheol | Tian Qing & Zhao Yunlei | Zhang Nan & Zhao Yunlei |
2013 | Guangzhou, China | Lin Dan | Ratchanok Intanon | Mohammad Ahsan & Hendra Setiawan | Wang Xiaoli & Yu Yang | Tontowi Ahmad & Liliyana Natsir |
2011 | London, England | Lin Dan | Wang Yihan | Cai Yun & Fu Haifeng | Wang Xiaoli & Yu Yang | Zhang Nan & Zhao Yunlei |
2010 | Paris, France | Chen Jin | Wang Lin | Cai Yun & Fu Haifeng | Du Jing & Yu Yang | Zheng Bo & Ma Jin |
2009 | Hyderabad, India | Lin Dan | Lu Lan | Cai Yun & Fu Haifeng | Zhang Yawen & Zhao Tingting | Thomas Laybourn & Kamilla Rytter Juhl |
2007 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Lin Dan | Zhu Lin | Markis Kido & Hendra Setiawan | Zhang Jiewen & Yang Wei | Nova Widianto & Liliyana Natsir |
2006 | Madrid, Spain | Lin Dan | Xie Xingfang | Cai Yun & Fu Haifeng | Gao Ling & Huang Sui | Nathan Robertson & Gail Emms |
2005 | Anaheim, USA | Taufik Hidayat | Xie Xingfang | Howard Bach & Tony Gunawan | Yang Wei & Zhang Jiewen | Nova Widianto & Liliyana Natsir |
2003 | Birmingham, England | Xia Xuanze | Zhang Ning | Lars Passke & Jonas Rasmussen | Gao Ling & Huang Sui | Kim Dong-Moon & Ra Kyung-Min |
2001 | Seville, Spain | Hendrawan | Gong Ruina | Halim Haryanto & Tony Gunawan | Gao Ling & Huang Sui | Zhang Jun & Gao Ling |
1999 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Sun Jun | Camilla Martin | Ha Tae-Kwon & Kim Dong-Moon | Ge Fei & Gu Jun | Kim Dong-Moon & Ra Kyung-Min |
1997 | Glasgow, Scotland | Peter Rasmussen | Ye Zhaoying | Candra Wijaya & Sigit Budiarto | Ge Fei & Gu Jun | Liu Yong & Ge Fei |
1995 | Lausanne, Switzerland | Hariyanto Arbi | Ye Zhaoying | Rexy Mainaky & Ricky Subagja | Gil Young-Ah & Jang Hye-Ock | Thomas Lund & Marlene Thomsen |
1993 | Birmingham, England | Joko Suprianto | Susi Susanti | Ricky Subagja & Rudy Gunawan | Nong Qunhua & Zhou Lei | Thomas Lund & Catrime Bengtsson |
1991 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Zhao Jianhua | Tang Jiuhong | Park Joo-Bong & Kim Moon-So | Guan Weizhen & Nong Qunhua | Park Joo-Bong & Chung Myung-Hee |
1989 | Jakarata, Indonesia | Yang Yang | Li Lingwei | Li Yongbo & Tian Bingyi | Lin Ying & Guan Weizhen | Park Joo-Bong & Chung Myung-Hee |
1987 | Beijing, China | Yang Yang | Han Aiping | Li Yongbo & Tian Bingyi | Lin Ying & Guan Weizhen | Wang Pengren & Shi Fangjing |
1985 | Calgary, Canada | Han Jian | Han Aiping | Park Joo-Bong & Kim Moon-So | Han Aiping & Li Lingwei | Park Joo-Bong & Yoo Sang-Hee |
1983 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Icuk Sugiarto | Li Lingwei | Steen Fladberg & Jesper Helledie | Lin Ying & Wu Dixi | Thomas Kihlstrom & Nora Perry |
1980 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Rudy Hartono | Verawaty Wiharjo | Ade Chandra & Christian Hadimata | Nora Perry & Jane Webster | Christian Hadimata & Imelda Wiguno |
1977 | Malmo, Sweden | Flemming Delfs | Lene Koppen | Tjun Tjun & Johan Wahjudi | Etsuko Toganoo & Emiko Ueno | Steen Skovgaard & Lene Koppen |