At the 2024 Summer Olympics, An Se-young secured the gold medal in the women's singles badminton event, marking the first time a South Korean player had claimed this title since 1996. Born in Gwangju in 2002, she has fundamentally shifted the competitive landscape of international badminton through consistent excellence in both individual and team-based tournament play.
Early Development and National Team Selection
An Se-young began international competition at age 13, participating in the 2015 Asian Junior Championships. Her junior career was characterized by rapid progression, notably winning the U15 Korea Junior Open that same year. By 2016, she demonstrated dominance in multiple U15 tournaments, including the Jakarta Open Junior International and the Asian Junior Championships. Her potential led to her inclusion in the South Korean national team in 2017, making her the first middle school student to reach that level of senior competition.
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Her transition to the senior professional circuit included a 2018 victory at the Irish Open. The following year, she claimed her first BWF World Tour title at the New Zealand Open by defeating 2012 Olympic gold medalist Li Xuerui. This momentum continued throughout 2019, leading the BWF to name her the Most Promising Player of the Year. Following the pandemic-impacted 2020 season, she achieved a significant milestone by winning three consecutive titles at the Indonesia Masters, Indonesia Open, and World Tour Finals in 2021.
Historic Achievements and Continued Dominance
In 2023, An became the first Korean women's singles player to win a World Championships title. She followed this with gold at the 2022 Asian Games, ending a 29-year drought for South Korea in that event. After her 2024 Olympic triumph, she navigated injury recovery and internal administrative discussions before returning to the circuit. By late 2025, she had expanded her record significantly, including her election to the BWF Athletes' Commission and a prolific season featuring ten World Tour titles.
Fast facts
- Born: 2002, Gwangju
- Citizenship: South Korea
- Olympic Gold: 2024 Summer Olympics
- World Championships Title: 2023
- BWF Most Promising Player: 2019
- BWF Female Player of the Year: 2023
- Professional Debut: 2018
- BWF Athletes' Commission Member: 2025
Questions readers ask
What record did An Se-young break at the 2024 Olympics?
She became the first South Korean to win the women's singles gold medal since Bang Soo-hyun in 1996.
When did An Se-young join the national senior team?
She was selected for the senior national team at the end of 2017 while still in middle school.
