Delrue and Gicquel claim mixed doubles world championship title
Delrue and Gicquel capture badminton world championship in mixed doubles.
Event / Sports
2026 World Badminton Championships
French badminton achieves historic results at the 2026 World Championships in New Delhi, with Alex Lanier reaching the men's singles final and Delphine Delrue/Thom Gicquel reaching the mixed doubles final, marking unprecedented achievements for France in the sport.
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2026-08-22 to 2026-11-08 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 22 Aug, 13:51 UTC
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What happened
Alex Lanier competes in men's singles final at World Championships
French badminton player Alex Lanier, ranked 10th in the world, competed in the men's singles final at the 2026 World Badminton Championships against Japan's Kodai Naraoka (11th ranked) on August 23, 2026.
French badminton pair wins bronze at 2025 World Championships
Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel won the bronze medal in mixed doubles at the 2025 World Badminton Championships held in Paris.
Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel win badminton world championship in mixed doubles
French badminton players Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel won the World Badminton Championships mixed doubles title on August 23, 2026, defeating world number one Chinese pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping 22-20, 19-21, 21-15 in three sets. This marks the first world championship title in French badminton history.
Delrue and Gicquel win first Super 1000 title for French badminton
Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel became the first French badminton players to win a Super 1000 level tournament (equivalent to a Grand Slam in tennis) when they won the Indonesia Open in the previous year.
French badminton pair reaches World Championships final for first time
Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel reached the World Badminton Championships final for the first time in French badminton history by defeating Chinese pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 19-21, 21-13, 21-11 in the semi-final on August 22, 2026.
French badminton pair crowned European champions
Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel were crowned European badminton champions in mixed doubles in 2024.
Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel reach badminton World Championship mixed doubles final
French mixed doubles pair Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel defeated Chinese pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin (ranked 2nd globally) with scores of 19-21, 21-13, 21-11 in the semifinal on August 22, 2026. This marked the first time French players reached a World Championship final in any category. The pair will face top-ranked Chinese pair Huang Dongping and Feng Yanzhe in the final on August 23, 2026.
Alex Lanier qualifies for badminton World Championship singles final
Alex Lanier, ranked 10th globally, defeated Canadian Victor Lai (7th) with a score of 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 in the men's singles semifinal at the badminton World Championships on August 22, 2026. This made Lanier the first French player ever to reach a World Championship final in men's singles. Lanier will face either Taiwan's Chou Tienchen (6th) or Japan's Kodai Naraoka (11th) in the final.
France achieves historic double in badminton World Championships finals
For the first time in history, French badminton players qualified for two World Championship finals on the same day: Alex Lanier in men's singles and Delphine Delrue with Thom Gicquel in mixed doubles. This represents a historic achievement for French badminton following their bronze medal at the previous World Championships held in Paris.
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France reaches historic double in badminton World Championship finals
France achieves historic double in badminton World Championships singles and mixed doubles finals.