There are 30 days until the start of the badminton competition at the 2019 Pan American Games, let’s remember the champions of previous editions, who were leading the way for the current champions and became great stars.
Let’s meet here the badminton champions in Pan Am Games history.
Badminton had its first presentation in Pan-American Games at Mar Del Plata 1995. Argentina witnessed the first badminton medals in Pan-American history and Canada won the 5 gold medals.
Denyse Julien won 3 crowns, while Anil Kaul, BPAC Deputy President, also won the gold medal in Men’s Doubles and silver in Mixed Doubles. In addition, athletes from United States, Jamaica and Peru also took the podium.
Medalists at Mar Del Plata 1995:
| MS | WS | MD | WD | XD | |
| GOLD | Jaimie Dawson – CAN | Denyse Julien – CAN | Anil Kaul / Iain Sydie – CAN |
Denyse Julien / Si-un Deng – CAN |
Darryl Yung / Denyse Julien – CAN |
| SILVER | Iain Sydie – CAN | Si-un Deng – CAN | Kevin Han / Thomas Reidy – USA |
Robbyn Hermitage / Milaine Cloutier – CAN |
Anil Kaul / Si-un Deng – CAN |
| BRONZE | Kavin Han – USA | Robbyn Hermitage – CAN | Paul Leyow / Roy Paul Jr. – JAM |
Anne French / Kathy Zimmerman – USA |
Paul Leyow / Terry Leyow – JAM |
| BRONZE | Mario Carulla – PER | Milaine Cloutier – CAN | Jaimie Dawson / Darryl Yung – CAN |
Linda French / Erika Von Heiland – USA |
Mike Edstrom / Linda French – USA |
With those 3 gold medals, plus the ones she would win in Mixed Doubles in Winnipeg 1999 and Santo Domingo 2003, Denyse Julien became the badminton player with the most gold medals in the Pan American Games, and to this day nobody has been able to overcome it. Eva Lee (USA) has 4 gold medals, while Howard Bach (USA) won 3, as well as Canadians Iain Sydie, Mike Beres and Michelle Li, who can add more medals in this edition.
At Winnipeg 1999, players from Canada, United States, Peru, Guatemala and Mexico also took the podium. Canada being the country with the most medals (10), followed by USA (5), Peru (3) and Guatemala and Mexico with a bronze medal each.
At Santo Domingo 2003 Canada returned to reign in the medal table (9) but Jamaica (3 medals) added its first and only gold medal with Nigella Saunders in Women’s Singles. USA and Guatemala won 2 medals each and Peru 4 bronze medals.
In 2007, the Pan American Games returned to South America. Rio de Janeiro 2007 saw the United States (7 medals) lead the medals table thanks to the 3 gold medals (WS, WD & XD) that Eva Lee achieved. Canada won 6 medals and Guatemala began to dream of the appearance of Kevin Cordon in the final of Men’s Singles, achieving the silver medal. Peru added 4 bronze medals and Brazil one bronze.
Guadalajara 2011 saw the first gold medals of Kevin Cordon (MS) and Michelle Li (WS and WD). In addition, 8 countries climbed to the medal table with the first Pan American medal of Cuba with Pan Am Champion 2019, Osleni Guerrero.
Our players continue adding experience and points in the qualification process for the next Olympic Games, and for the first time the points of the Pan American Championship 2019 are counted in a year in which Pan American Games are held and that allows our athletes to add more points in search of the qualification to Tokyo 2020.
Photo Credit: Badminton Photo | BPAC | SN
