Gail Emms facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gail Emms MBE
The Queen`s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi visiting Droitwich Spa High School where the Baton is held by Young Ambassador, Connor Feweraker, Commonwealth Games Badminton Gold Medalist, Gail Emms, Young Ambassador
Personal information
Birth name	Gail Elizabeth Emms
Born	(1977-07-23) 23 July 1977 (age 47) Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Country	England
Handedness	Right
Women's & mixed doubles
Highest Ranking	1 (XD with Nathan Robertson)
Medal record Women's badminton Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Silver 2004 Athens Mixed doubles Representing  England World Championships Gold 2006 Madrid Mixed doubles Sudirman Cup Bronze 2007 Glasgow Mixed team Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester Mixed team Gold 2006 Melbourne Mixed doubles Silver 2006 Melbourne Mixed team Bronze 2002 Manchester Women's doubles Bronze 2006 Melbourne Women's doubles European Championships Gold 2004 Geneva Mixed doubles Gold 2006 Den Bosch Women's doubles Silver 2002 Malmö Mixed doubles Silver 2008 Herning Women's doubles Bronze 2008 Herning Mixed doubles European Mixed Team Championships Silver 2000 Glasgow Mixed team Silver 2002 Malmö Mixed team Silver 2008 Herning Mixed team Bronze 2006 Den Bosch Mixed team European Women's Team Championships Silver 2006 Thessalonica Women's team World Junior Championships Bronze 1994 Kuala Lumpur Mixed doubles European Junior Championships Bronze 1995 Nitra Girls' doubles Bronze 1995 Nitra Mixed team

Gail Elizabeth Emms MBE (born 23 July 1977) is a retired English badminton player. She achieved great success in doubles tournaments. Gail started playing badminton when she was just four years old. She first played for England in 1995 and continued until she retired in 2008.

Her best results include winning a gold medal at the 2006 World Championships in Madrid. She also won gold at the 2004 European Championships in Geneva. A big highlight was winning a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. She played with her partner Nathan Robertson in the mixed doubles event. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, she won a bronze medal with Joanne Goode in women's doubles. She also won gold as part of the England team in the mixed team event.

Gail Emms' Early Life and Career

Gail Emms went to a private girls' school called Dame Alice Harpur School in Bedford. When she was younger, she and Nathan Robertson reached the semi-finals of the 1994 World Junior Championships. This big competition was held in Kuala Lumpur. In 1998, Gail finished her university degree in Sports Science from Kingston University. After graduating, she became a full-time professional badminton player. She received help from grants funded by the National Lottery through UK Sport. Gail's mother, Janice Emms, used to play for the unofficial England women's national football team.

Olympic Success in Athens (2004)

Gail Emms competed in badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She played in two events: women's doubles and mixed doubles.

Women's Doubles

In the women's doubles, Gail teamed up with Donna Kellogg. They won their first match against a team from Hong Kong. However, they were later defeated by a Chinese pair in the second round.

Mixed Doubles with Nathan Robertson

Gail also played in the mixed doubles with her partner Nathan Robertson. They started strong, winning their first match easily. In the quarter-finals, they beat a Chinese team, moving them closer to a medal. They then won their semi-final match against a Danish pair. In the final match, they faced a strong Chinese team, Zhang Jun and Gao Ling. Gail and Nathan played very well, but they lost a close match. They earned a fantastic silver medal for Great Britain.

Commonwealth Games Achievements (2006)

The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Australia. Gail Emms had a very successful time there. She won a silver medal in the team event. She also secured a bronze medal in the women's doubles, playing with Donna Kellogg. The biggest win was a gold medal in the mixed doubles, where she partnered with Nathan Robertson. After the Commonwealth Games, Gail and Nathan won another gold medal at the 2006 IBF World Championships.

Final Olympic Games in Beijing (2008)

Gail Emms participated in her last Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

Women's Doubles

In the women's doubles, Gail played with Donna Kellogg. They were unfortunately knocked out in the first round by a Chinese team.

Mixed Doubles with Nathan Robertson

Gail and Nathan Robertson then played in the mixed doubles. They had a tough first match against the world number 2 Chinese pair. Gail and Nathan won the first game, but the Chinese team fought back to win the second. In the deciding game, the British duo were behind but made an amazing comeback to win the match. This was a huge victory! However, in the quarter-finals, Gail and Nathan lost to the South Korean team who went on to win the gold medal.

After the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Gail Emms decided to retire from professional badminton.

Life After Badminton

After retiring in 2008, Gail Emms started a new chapter in her life. She now does many different things. She coaches badminton, helps to inspire people with motivational speeches, and works in media. You might have seen her as a TV presenter or commentator for the BBC, Sky, and BT Sport. She has also worked with big companies like SKODA cars and Adidas.

In 2013, she joined the coaching team at Badminton England. Her job was to help young female players and mixed doubles pairs get better. However, in 2017, UK Sport reduced its funding for badminton. This meant there were fewer coaching programs, and Gail's role was affected. She has since spoken about how funding for sports should support more players, not just those at the very top.

Gail has also appeared on popular TV shows. She was on the sports panel show A Question of Sport and is a regular guest on Fighting Talk. In 2014, she and her dog, Raffa (a Westie), won their heat, semi-final, and the final of Sport Relief's Top Dog.

Personal Life

Gail Emms was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2009. This honor was given to her for her great contributions to badminton.

She has two children: Harry, born in 2010, and Oliver, born in 2013. In 2015, she was living in Milton Keynes with her partner. Gail has talked about how hard it can be for athletes to stop playing professionally when they are still young.

Gail is a big fan of the football team Tottenham Hotspur. In 2017, she ran the Great North Run half marathon. She completed it in 1 hour and 48 minutes, raising money for SportsAid.

Major Achievements

Gail Emms won many medals throughout her career. Here are some of her most important achievements:

• Olympic Games:
  • Silver medal in mixed doubles at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
• World Championships:
  • Gold medal in mixed doubles at the 2006 World Championships in Madrid.
• Commonwealth Games:
  • Gold medal in mixed team at the 2002 Manchester Games.
  • Gold medal in mixed doubles at the 2006 Melbourne Games.
  • Silver medal in mixed team at the 2006 Melbourne Games.
  • Bronze medal in women's doubles at the 2002 Manchester Games.
  • Bronze medal in women's doubles at the 2006 Melbourne Games.
• European Championships:
  • Gold medal in mixed doubles at the 2004 Geneva Championships.
  • Gold medal in women's doubles at the 2006 Den Bosch Championships.
  • Silver medal in mixed doubles at the 2002 Malmö Championships.
  • Silver medal in women's doubles at the 2008 Herning Championships.
  • Bronze medal in mixed doubles at the 2008 Herning Championships.

See also

In Spanish: Gail Emms para niños