Badminton in the Tokyo Olympics: Rules, Seedings and What to Know

The United States has hardly ever won an Olympic medal in badminton, but it has a chance to change its fortunes in Tokyo.

There are 4 American athletes competing in the activity in Tokyo: Beiwen Zhang, Timothy Lam, Phillip Chew and Ryan Chew. Zhang is the 11th-rated player in the women’s singles event and has a authentic opportunity to make a darkish-horse run at a medal, whilst Lam is the 41st-ranked participant on the men’s facet in his Olympics debut.

From principles to schedules to rankings, listed here is the important data for enthusiasts who want to know all the ins and outs of badminton heading into the Tokyo Olympics. 

What are the guidelines for badminton?

Matches are ideal of three online games and every sport is played to 21 details.

Badminton utilizes a “rally details scoring procedure,” indicating whichever facet wins a rally, no matter of who serves, will get a point and serves the next rally. If a video game is tied at 20, the facet that gains a two-place gain about the other facet wins. If the rating reaches a tie at 29, the winner of the up coming issue wins the video game. The latest structure was initially made use of in the Olympics in 2008. Up until finally 2004, online games were being performed to 15 factors (women’s singles was performed to 11) and sides could only rating details on their provide.

Players serve from and get in their respective suitable-hand company courts when the server’s rating is zero or an even quantity. The provide is from the left-hand services court to the left-hand return court docket when the server has an odd range of details.

Rallies very last about 10 hits, though some rallies could surpass 40 hits.

How major are badminton birdies, rackets and courts?

Birdies — or “shuttlecocks” — have 16 feathers connected to the foundation, are involving 2.44 and 2.76 inches extended and weigh from .17 to .19 ounces. The rounded rubber cork is in between .98 and 1.1 inches in diameter.

Olympic gamers can smash the birdie from speeds of 150 mph to additional than 200 mph, earning it the speediest racket sport in the globe.

Badminton rackets can’t exceed 26.75 inches in size and nine inches in width.

The court is the exact same length for singles and doubles at 44 toes. The width varies, nevertheless, with singles performed at 17 feet and doubles played at 20 toes. The web is five toes tall at the middle and an inch taller at each publish. 

When will the Olympic badminton tournaments just take position?

Preliminary play for men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and blended doubles get started on Friday, July 23, at 8 p.m. ET and go on for the upcoming 5 times. From there, round of 16, quarterfinal, semifinal and medal play will start. All Olympic badminton will be performed at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in Chōfu, Tokyo.

Right here are the dates and session instances for every single event’s bronze and gold medal matches:

Men’s singles: Monday, Aug. 2, 7 a.m.-10 a.m. ET (Stream)

Women’s singles: Sunday, Aug. 1, 7:30 a.m.-10 a.m. ET (Stream)

Men’s doubles: Saturday, July 31, 5 a.m.-10 a.m. ET (Stream)

Women’s doubles: Monday, Aug. 2, 12 a.m.-2:30 a.m. ET (Stream)

Combined doubles: Friday, July 30, 2:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. ET (Stream)

Who are the favorites to get the Olympic badminton tournaments?

Asia is the apparent best continent for badminton. China’s 41 Olympic medals medals are outstanding thinking about the up coming closest international locations are South Korea (19) and Indonesia (19). 

Japan’s Momota Kento is the favourite in men’s singles. The 26-year-outdated received the 2018 and 2019 BWF World Championship gold medals. His prime competitors will include things like Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen, China’s Shi Yu Qi, Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and two Danish players, Viktor Axelsen and Anders Antonsen.

The women’s singles match has an even team of contenders soon after Spain’s Carolina Marin, who gained the gold medal in Rio, tore her ACL in early June. India’s P. V. Sindhu, who received silver in Rio, highlights a team that includes China’s Chen Yu Fei, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying, Japan’s Yamaguchi Akane and extra.

The doubles tournaments have seen many veteran pairings retire considering that Rio, so there is a good deal of option for new rivals. Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong of China are taking part in well heading into Tokyo right after successful again-to-back blended doubles globe titles.

In women’s doubles, all eyes will be on a pair of Japanese duos. Matsumoto Mayu and Nagahara Wakana direct the pack immediately after profitable the 2019 BWF Globe Championships when Fukushima Yuki and Hirota Sayaka will be hoping to ultimately arrive out on major just after losing a few straight environment championship finals. In men’s doubles, Indonesia and Japan will be amongst the best contenders immediately after China won gold in 2016.