Choong makes para-badminton history at Worlds
Rachel Choong made English para-badminton history winning three gold medals at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships in Stoke Mandeville.
The 21-year-old from Liverpool laid down a marker ahead of para-badminton’s debut at the Paralympics in Tokyo 2020 becoming the first England player to win three gold medals at a para-badminton world championship.
The world number one successfully defended her world titles won 2013 in Germany by beating compatriot Rebecca Bedford 21-13 21-2 in the women’s singles short stature 6 category and again in the mixed doubles final with Andrew Martin.
Choong and Bedford had already won gold in the women’s doubles final on Saturday, while Martin added to his mixed doubles gold by claiming silver in the men’s singles title against Malaysia’s Didin Taresoh.
Jack Shepherd and Krysten Coombs also won a gold medal in the SS6 men’s doubles on the final day to take England’s winning tally to four gold, four silver and five bronze.
Rachel said:
“I am actually emotional to think I’m a triple world champion. I hadn’t realised I was the first English player to win three in the same Championships and that feels amazing.
“I’m going to be up on cloud nine for a good while. It means more also as its in England. Only my mum was with me when I won in Germany so having all my family here to see me become world champion again today really has been the icing on the cake. I am so happy.”
England’s Head Coach Richard Morris said:
“I’m delighted with how the team has performed this week and we are definitely in a good place, but we need to keep going forward with para-badminton.
“The standard across the board is improving all over the world so we need to continue with our improvements.
“Our target of 12 medals was optimistic but we have achieved it and I think the squad is in a better place than it has ever been. We are a close group with a mix of youth and experience and that bodes well ahead of the Paralympics in 2020.”
The championships were being held in England at Stoke Mandeville Stadium for the first time in the tournament’s history and are the first championships to be held since it was confirmed last year that para-badminton would be making its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
