Chen Long facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chen Long 谌龙
Chen at the 2017 World Championships
Personal information
Nickname(s)	The Great Wall of China
Born	(1989-01-18) 18 January 1989 (age 36) Shashi, Hubei, China
Height	1.87 m
Weight	75 kg
Country	China
Years active	2007–2021
Handedness	Right
Men's singles
Highest Ranking	1 (25 December 2014)

Chen Long (Chinese: 谌龙; pinyin: Chén Lóng; born 18 January 1989) is a Chinese former professional badminton player. He is famous for winning the Olympic gold medal in 2016. He also won the World Championship twice and was an Asian champion.

Fans often called him "The Great Wall of China." This nickname shows how strong and steady his playing style was. Chen Long was known for his amazing stamina, controlling the game, and very strong defense. Many people consider him one of the best male badminton players ever.

Chen Long was once the World number 1 player. He held this top spot for 76 weeks in a row from December 2014 to June 2016. He first showed his talent on the world stage by winning junior titles. He won the boys' singles at the Asian and World Junior Championships in 2007. His first professional win was at the Philippines Open in 2009.

Early Life and Training

Chen Long was born in Shashi District, Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China. He showed a natural talent for badminton from a young age. In 1996, when he was just seven, he joined the Sports School in Jingzhou.

He continued to improve his skills. In 2000, he joined the Xiamen team. By 2005, he was chosen to join the national youth team. The next year, in 2006, Chen moved up to the national second team.

Junior Champion Years (2007-2008)

Chen Long became an Asian Junior Champion in 2007. In the same year, he also won the World Junior Championships. He helped the Chinese team win the 2007 Suhandinata Cup, a team event.

Because of his great performance, Chen Long was chosen to join the national first team in 2008. This meant he would compete at the highest level.

Rising to the Top (2009-2010)

In 2009, Chen Long won his first professional title. This was at the Philippines Open, where he beat Hu Yun from Hong Kong in the final.

In 2010, Chen Long continued to do well. He reached the semi-finals of the Korea Open. He also made it to the final of the Swiss Open. He was part of the Chinese team that won gold at the Thomas Cup.

He won his first individual title of 2010 at the Bitburger Open in Germany. Later that year, he helped China win another team gold medal at the Asian Games. He also won the China Open Super Series. By the end of 2010, his world ranking reached a career-high of 4th.

Winning Big Titles (2011-2013)

In 2011, Chen Long won his first China Masters title. A week later, he won his first Japan Open. In October, he won his third Super Series tournament in a row at the Denmark Open.

Playing in the semifinals of the 2012 Olympics

In 2012, Chen Long helped China win their ninth Thomas Cup title. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he won a bronze medal in men's singles. After the Olympics, his performance got even better. He won the China Masters, the China Open, and the Hong Kong Open. He ended 2012 by winning his first Superseries Finals title.

Chen Long started 2013 strong. He won his first All England Open title. He also helped China win their fifth Sudirman Cup in a row. He continued to win, taking titles at the Denmark Open and defending his China Open title.

Becoming World Champion (2014)

Chen Long had a great start to 2014 by winning the Korean Open. However, he lost in the finals of the All England and Indian Open.

His luck changed at the most important event of the year. On August 31, Chen Long won his first-ever World Championship title in Copenhagen. He beat his rival Lee Chong Wei in the final. This win ended his seven-month streak without a title.

He continued his excellent form, winning the Denmark Open. He ended the season by winning the 2014 BWF Super Series Masters Finals in Dubai. With this victory, Chen Long became the World No.1, a huge achievement.

Dominating the Courts (2015)

Starting 2015 as World No.1, Chen Long won the All England Open for the second time. He then won the Malaysia Open. These wins showed he was China's top men's singles player.

In May, Chen Long was part of the Chinese team that won the Sudirman Cup. He also won the Australian Open and the Chinese Taipei Open.

He successfully defended his World Championship title at the 2015 BWF World Championships in Jakarta. He beat Lee Chong Wei again in the final. This made him a two-time World Champion and secured his position as Year-End No. 1. He also won the Korea Open and the Denmark Open. He won seven titles in 2015, his most in a single season.

Olympic Gold Medalist (2016)

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Chen Long was the second seed. He played very well throughout the tournament. In the semi-finals, he defeated Viktor Axelsen.

On August 20, 2016, Chen Long faced Lee Chong Wei in the men's singles final. Chen Long won the match in straight games, earning his first Olympic gold medal. This was a huge moment in his career.

More Victories (2017-2019)

In 2017, Chen Long won his first Asian Championships title. He beat Lin Dan in a tough final match. In November, he won his fourth China Open title.

In 2018, Chen Long helped the Chinese team win gold at the Thomas Cup. He also helped the Chinese team win gold at the Asian Games. In October, he won his first French Open title.

In 2019, Chen Long was part of the Chinese team that won the Sudirman Cup. He also won his second consecutive French Open title.

Final Olympic Journey (2020-2021)

In 2020, Chen Long played in only two tournaments before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the season.

At the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Chen Long reached the final. He played against Viktor Axelsen but was unable to defend his gold medal, winning a silver medal instead. It was later revealed that he had a severe blister on his foot during the competition, which made it very difficult for him to run. Despite this, he showed great fighting spirit. In September, Chen Long announced that the Chinese National Championships would be his last tournament.

Retirement from Badminton

After the Tokyo Olympics, Chen Long did not compete again. At 34 years old, he officially announced his retirement from professional badminton. He made this decision after talking with his family, wanting to focus on their well-being and have a more balanced family life. This marked the end of his amazing badminton career.

Awards and Recognition

Chen Long's excellent performance in badminton earned him the BWF Male Player of the Year award twice, in 2014 and 2015. His second World Championship win in 2015 made him one of China's top athletes that year. In 2024, Chen Long was added to the Badminton Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Chen Long married Wang Shixian, who was also a former World No.1 badminton player, in 2017. They had been together for over ten years. Their son was born in June 2019.

Chen Long's family name, 谌, is actually pronounced Shèn. However, the word 谌 is pronounced Chén when it's not a surname. Early in his career, when he joined China's athlete system, his surname was incorrectly registered as Chen. He tried to fix it but couldn't due to paperwork, so he eventually accepted it.

Images for kids

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  Playing in the semifinals of the 2012 Olympics

See also

In Spanish: Chen Long para niños