Gail Emms facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gail Emms MBE
Emms in 2009
Personal information
Birth name	Gail Elizabeth Emms
Born	(1977-07-23) 23 July 1977 (age 48) 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, born on July 23, 1977, is a famous English badminton player. She is known for her amazing success in doubles badminton. Gail started playing badminton when she was only four years old. She first played for England in 1995 and continued to represent her country until she stopped playing professionally in 2008.

Her biggest achievements include winning a gold medal at the World Championships in Madrid in 2006. She also won gold at the European Championships in Geneva in 2004. At the 2004 Olympic Games, she won a silver medal with her mixed doubles partner, Nathan Robertson. Gail also won a bronze medal in women's doubles and a gold medal in the mixed team event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Gail's Early Life and Career

Gail Emms went to the Dame Alice Harpur School, which was a private school for girls. In 1994, she and Nathan Robertson reached the semi-finals of the World Junior Championships in Kuala Lumpur. After high school, Gail studied Sports Science at Kingston University and graduated in 1998.

After finishing university, Gail became a full-time professional badminton player. She received financial help from the National Lottery through UK Sport. Her mother, Janice Emms, used to play for the unofficial England women's national football team.

Olympic Games: Athens 2004

Gail Emms competed in badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She played in two events.

In women's doubles, she teamed up with Donna Kellogg. They won their first match but were defeated in the second round.

Gail also played in mixed doubles with her partner, Nathan Robertson. They did very well, winning their way through to the semi-finals. In the final match, they played against a strong Chinese team. Gail and Nathan won a fantastic silver medal for their country.

Commonwealth Games: Melbourne 2006

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, Gail Emms won several medals. She earned a silver medal in the team event. She also won a bronze medal in women's doubles with Donna Kellogg.

Her biggest win at these games was a gold medal in mixed doubles with Nathan Robertson. After the Commonwealth Games, Gail and Nathan also won another gold medal at the World Championships in 2006.

Olympic Games: Beijing 2008

Gail Emms competed in her second Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. In the women's doubles, she and Donna Kellogg were knocked out in the first round.

However, Gail and Nathan Robertson had an exciting first match in the mixed doubles. They won against the world number 2 Chinese team in a very close game. Even though they played well, Gail and Nathan lost in the quarter-finals to the South Korean team who went on to win the gold medal.

Gail Emms officially retired from professional badminton after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Gail's Life After Badminton

After retiring in 2008, Gail Emms started a new career path. She began coaching badminton and giving motivational speeches. She also worked in the media, doing TV commentary for channels like BBC and Sky. Gail has also promoted products for companies like SKODA cars and Adidas.

In 2013, she joined the coaching staff at Badminton England. Her job was to help young female players and mixed doubles teams. However, in 2017, funding for badminton from UK Sport was reduced. This affected Gail's coaching role. She has since spoken about how she believes UK Sport should support more players, not just those at the very top.

Gail has also appeared on popular sports TV shows. She was a guest on A Question of Sport and is a regular on Fighting Talk. In 2014, she and her dog, Raffa, a Westie, won a TV competition called Sport Relief's Top Dog.

Personal Life

In 2009, Gail Emms was awarded the MBE for her great contributions to badminton. This is a special honor in the United Kingdom.

Gail has two children: Harry, born in 2010, and Oliver, born in 2013. She lives in Milton Keynes. After she stopped playing badminton professionally, Gail faced some challenges in adjusting to life after sports. She has openly talked about how difficult it can be for athletes to find their way after retiring at a young age.

Gail is a big fan of the football team Tottenham Hotspur. In 2017, she ran the Great North Run half marathon to raise money for SportsAid, a charity that helps young athletes. She finished the race in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

See also

In Spanish: Gail Emms para niños