Lee Yong-dae facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lee Yong-dae
Personal information
Born	(1988-09-11) 11 September 1988 (age 36) Hwasun, South Jeolla, South Korea
Height	1.76m
Weight	76.2kg
Country	South Korea
Years active	2003–2018, 2019–present
Handedness	Right
Men's & mixed doubles
Highest Ranking	1 (MD with Jung Jae-sung 22 January 2009) 1 (MD with Ko Sung-hyun 30 May 2013) 1 (MD with Yoo Yeon-seong 14 August 2014) 1 (XD with Lee Hyo-jung 2009)
Current Ranking	31

Lee Yong-dae (Hangul: 이용대; Hanja: 李龍大; born 11 September 1988) is a famous badminton player from South Korea. He is known for being very good at both men's and mixed doubles games. Lee Yong-dae has been ranked as the world's number one player with four different partners. These partners include Jung Jae-sung, Ko Sung-hyun, and Yoo Yeon-seong in men's doubles, and Lee Hyo-jung in mixed doubles.

He has won an amazing 43 Superseries titles. A Superseries title is a big win in a series of important badminton tournaments. He won 37 of these in men's doubles, which is more than any other doubles player in that category. He also won 6 in mixed doubles. With his last partner, Yoo Yeon-seong, he was ranked world number one in men's doubles for 117 weeks in a row!

Lee announced he would stop playing international badminton after winning the 2016 Korean Superseries. But he came back to play on the world stage in late 2017. He then started a new partnership with Kim Gi-jung in 2018.

Early Life and Training

Lee Yong-dae started playing badminton when he was 8 years old. He began playing at his local elementary school to help him lose weight. When he first started playing in international competitions in 2003, he was part of the Hwasun Middle School team.

After that, he played for Hwasun Vocational High School until 2006. In 2006, he joined the Samsung Electromechanics team. Lee was so talented that he joined the South Korean national badminton team in 2003, when he was just 15 years old.

Amazing Badminton Career

Lee Yong-dae's career is full of big wins and exciting matches. He played in many tournaments around the world.

Starting Out (2003-2005)

In 2003, Lee played in the OCBC/Yonex US Open. He didn't get very far, but he was just starting. In 2004, he reached the semi-finals in mixed doubles at the French Open International. He kept trying different partners to find the best fit. In 2005, he reached the finals of the Cheers Asian Satellite in both mixed and men's doubles. He also won three gold medals at the Asian Junior Championships in boys' doubles, mixed doubles, and team events.

Junior World Champion (2006)

The year 2006 was huge for Lee. He won three more gold medals at the Asian Junior Championships in Malaysia. He helped South Korea win in boys' doubles, mixed doubles, and the mixed team event.

Later that year, he made history at the World Junior Championships. He won three more gold medals, leading Team Korea to their first world junior championship. He didn't lose a single game in boys' doubles, mixed doubles, or the mixed team event! He also won two titles at the Thailand Open with Jung Jae-sung in men's doubles and Ha Jung-eun in mixed doubles. At the Asian Games, he won a bronze medal in men's doubles and a silver medal with the South Korean team.

Olympic Gold and World Medals (2007-2008)

In 2007, Lee and Jung Jae-sung won the Korea Open, a big Super Series event. Lee also won the mixed doubles with Lee Hyo-jung. They later won the Swiss Open together. Lee and Jung Jae-sung also won a silver medal at the 2007 BWF World Championships.

In 2008, Lee and Jung Jae-sung won the All England Open, one of the most famous badminton tournaments. They also won the Swiss Open and the Asian Championships. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Lee and Jung Jae-sung didn't do well in men's doubles. But Lee and Lee Hyo-jung surprised everyone by winning the gold medal in mixed doubles! Lee became the youngest badminton player to win an Olympic gold medal.

Continued Success (2009-2012)

Lee continued to shine in 2009. He and Jung Jae-sung won the Malaysia Open and Indonesia Open. He also won the mixed doubles title at the Korea Open with Lee Hyo-jung. They won the Asian Championships mixed doubles title too. At the 2009 World Championships, he won silver in men's doubles and bronze in mixed doubles. He also won multiple Superseries titles in China and Hong Kong.

In 2010, Lee and Jung Jae-sung won the Korea Open and China Open. In 2011, they won the Korea Open Premier, China Masters, Denmark Open Premier, and French Open. Lee also won the US Open and Canada Open in men's doubles with Ko Sung-hyun, and the US Open mixed doubles with Ha Jung-eun.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Lee and Jung Jae-sung won a bronze medal in men's doubles. After the Olympics, Lee started playing men's doubles with Ko Sung-hyun.

New Partners and More Wins (2013-2016)

In 2013, Lee and Ko Sung-hyun won the Korea Open. Later that year, Lee teamed up with Yoo Yeon-seong. This new partnership was very successful. They won the Denmark Open Premier and China Open back-to-back.

In 2014, Lee faced a challenge when he was temporarily banned from playing due to a misunderstanding about a drug test. But the ban was lifted, and he quickly returned to the game. He and Yoo Yeon-seong then won three Superseries titles in a row: the Japan Open, Indonesia Open, and Australian Open. They became the world's number one men's doubles pair. At the 2014 World Championships, they won a silver medal.

Lee had an amazing year in 2015, winning six Superseries titles with Yoo Yeon-seong. These included the Australian, Japan, Korea, Denmark, French, and Hong Kong Opens.

In 2016, Lee and Yoo Yeon-seong won the China Masters and the Asian Championships. They also won the Indonesia Open. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, they were top seeds but lost in the quarter-finals. Lee announced his retirement from international badminton after the 2016 Korea Open, which he won with Yoo Yeon-seong.

Comeback and Recent Years (2018-Present)

Lee Yong-dae made a comeback in 2018, partnering with Kim Gi-jung. They won titles at the Spain Masters and Macau Open. In 2020, they started the year strong by winning the Malaysia Masters.

Personal Life

Lee's gold medal win at the 2008 Olympics made him very famous in South Korea. He has appeared on TV shows like Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education.

Lee started dating actress Byun Soo-mi in 2011. They made their relationship public in 2012. They met at a badminton event. In 2017, they got engaged and had a small wedding. Their daughter, Lee Ye-bin, was born in April 2017. In December 2018, they decided to get a divorce.

Filmography

Television series

Television Show

Images for kids

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  Lee in 2013

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  Lee won the mixed doubles title at the 2011 U.S. Open partnered with Ha Jung-eun

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  Lee Yong-dae (left) at the podium of 2012 London Olympics

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  Lee with his partner Yoo Yeon-Seong at the 2013 French Open

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  Lee defending against a smash; he is known as one of the best defensive players in badminton

See also

In Spanish: Lee Yong-Dae para niños