France enjoyed a historic day at the BWF World Championships as Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue and Alex Lanier captured two gold medals in New Delhi.
Gicquel/Delrue produced a tactical masterclass to defeat top seeds Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping in the mixed doubles final, while Lanier dominated Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 to claim the men’s singles title.
The remarkable double triumph made France the first European nation since 1977 to win two gold medals at a single World Championships.
Korea also secured two titles, with An Se Young winning her second women’s singles world crown and Lee So Hee/Baek Ha Na ending a 31-year wait for Korea’s next women’s doubles title.
China’s Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang secured the men’s doubles crown, defeating defending champions Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik 21-17, 21-16.
A landmark World Championships for France, who have firmly announced themselves as a rising force on the global badminton stage.
