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, Jingzhou, 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 is a famous former professional badminton player from China. He was born on January 18, 1989. Chen Long is known for winning a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. He also won the World Championships twice and was an Asian champion.

For a long time, Chen Long was ranked as the number one men's singles player in the world. He held this top spot for 76 weeks in a row, from December 2014 to June 2016. He first showed his amazing talent by winning junior championships in 2007. Later, he won his first big tournament, the Philippines Open, in 2009.

Fans often called him "The Great Wall of China." This nickname shows how strong and steady he was in his games. He was known for his great stamina, controlling the game, and strong defense. Many people consider him one of the best male badminton players ever.

Early Life and Training

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

He moved to the Xiamen team in 2000. By 2005, he was chosen to join China's national youth badminton team. The next year, in 2006, Chen Long moved up to the national second team.

Amazing Career Highlights

Junior Champion Success

Chen Long became a junior champion in Asia in 2007. In the same year, he also won the World Junior Championships. He helped the Chinese team win the Suhandinata Cup in 2007 too. In 2008, Chen Long was invited to join China's top national team.

Rising Star: 2009–2010

In 2009, Chen Long won his first professional title at the Philippines Open. He beat Hu Yun from Hong Kong in the final match. In 2010, he reached the semi-finals of the Korea Open. He also made it to the final of the Swiss Open, finishing second.

Chen Long was part of the Chinese team that won gold at the 2010 Thomas Cup. He won his first individual title of 2010 at the Bitburger Open in Germany. He also won the China Open Super Series. By the end of 2010, his world ranking rose to a career-high of 4th.

Winning Big: 2011

In 2011, Chen Long won his first China Masters title. A week later, he won his first Japan Open. He then won his third straight Super Series tournament at the Denmark Open. He ended 2011 as a runner-up in the Super Series Master Finals.

Olympic Bronze and First Finals Title: 2012

Playing in the semifinals of the 2012 Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Chen Long won a bronze medal. He beat Lee Hyun-il in the bronze medal match. After the Olympics, Chen Long's performance got much better. He won the China Masters and the Hong Kong Open. He also won his first Superseries Finals title.

All England and Sudirman Cup Champion: 2013

Chen Long continued his strong performance into 2013. He won his first German Open title. In March, he won the 2013 All England Open title. He also helped China win its fifth straight Sudirman Cup trophy. He successfully defended his China Open title.

World Champion and World Number 1: 2014

In 2014, Chen Long won his first-ever World Championship title in Copenhagen. He beat Lee Chong Wei in the final. He then won the Denmark Open. Chen Long finished the year by winning the 2014 BWF Super Series Masters Finals in Dubai. With this victory, he became the World No.1 player. This was the first time in six years that someone other than Lee Chong Wei ended the year at the top spot.

More Titles and World Champion Again: 2015

Starting 2015 as World No.1, Chen Long won his second All England title. He also won the Malaysia Open. In May, Chen was part of the Chinese team that won the Sudirman Cup. He defended his World Championship title at the 2015 BWF World Championships in Jakarta. He won against Lee Chong Wei again in the final. This made him the Year-End No. 1 for the second time. He also won the Korea Open and the Denmark Super Series Premier.

Olympic Gold Medal: 2016

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Chen Long was the second favorite. He played against Lee Chong Wei in the men's singles final. On August 20, 2016, Chen Long won the match in straight games. He earned his first Olympic gold medal, a huge achievement in his career.

Asian Champion and China Open: 2017

In April 2017, Chen Long won his first Asian Championships title in Wuhan, China. He beat Lin Dan in a tough three-game match. In November, he won his fourth China Open title. He defeated Viktor Axelsen in the final.

Team Gold Medals: 2018

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

Another French Open Title: 2019

In May 2019, Chen Long was part of the Chinese team that won the Sudirman Cup. In October, he won the French Open again. This was his second consecutive French Open title and his first individual title of the year.

Olympic Silver Medal: 2021

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held in 2021, Chen Long reached the final. He played against Viktor Axelsen but was unable to win the gold medal, earning a silver instead. It was later shared that Chen had a bad blister on his foot during the games. This showed his amazing fighting spirit to keep playing despite the pain. In September 2021, Chen announced that the Chinese National Championships would be his last tournament.

Retirement

Chen Long officially announced his retirement from professional badminton in 2023. He had not competed in tournaments since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He made this decision after talking with his family, wanting to focus on their well-being and have a more balanced family life.

Awards and Recognition

Chen Long's amazing performance in badminton earned him the BWF Male Player of the Year award twice, in 2014 and 2015. In 2024, Chen was honored by being added to the Badminton Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Chen Long married fellow badminton player Wang Shixian 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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  Chen Long at the 2017 World Championships

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  Playing in the semifinals of the 2012 Olympics

See also

In Spanish: Chen Long para niños