▲ Lee So-hee (left) and Baek Ha-na celebrate after claiming South Korea's first women's doubles World Championships title in 31 years.
South Korea's women's doubles badminton pair Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, ranked third in the world, have captured South Korea's first gold medal at the World Championships in 31 years.
Lee and Baek defeated world number one Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China 2-0 in the women's doubles final of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships held today in New Delhi, India, claiming the top spot.
This marks the first time a South Korean women's doubles pair has lifted the World Championships trophy in 31 years, following Gil Young-ah and Jang Hye-ok at the 1995 Lausanne World Championships in Switzerland.
Having previously held the world number one ranking for 12 consecutive weeks, former champions Lee and Baek also celebrated snapping a four-match losing streak against the current top-ranked Chinese pair with this victory.
The triumph comes approximately eight months after their successful defense of the title at the World Tour Finals, considered the year-end "King of Kings" tournament, late last year.
Having consistently stood on the podium at major tournaments this season—including a silver medal at the Malaysia Open Super 1000, a bronze at the India Open, and a silver at the All England Open—the duo proved their strength in premier events and finally reaped the rewards by conquering the World Championships.
This is the first time the two players have won a medal together at this event.
Lee previously partnered with Shin Seung-chan to win a bronze in 2014 and a silver in 2021, meaning today's gold completes her collection of all three colored medals at the World Championships.
Although the top-ranked Chinese pair was a formidable opponent, the South Korean duo dominated the match from start to finish with flawless play.
As Baek firmly guarded the front of the net to disrupt the opponents' rhythm, Lee completely controlled the court from the back with her versatile defense and sharp attacks.
The South Korean pair seized the initiative right from the start of the first game by scoring five consecutive points, and managed the match comfortably without allowing a single tie to take the first game.
Early in the second game, they faced a strong counterattack from the Chinese pair seeking to turn the tide, but quickly regained momentum by scoring three straight points from a 4-4 tie.
At 7-5, Lee's surprise half-smash landed on the court, followed by three more consecutive points to pull ahead 10-5.
Although they allowed the opponents to close the gap to 13-12 late in the game, they secured a decisive 18-12 lead by reeling off five consecutive points, highlighted by incredible concentration to win a grueling 67-shot rally.
The Chinese pair, visibly shaken in focus, committed consecutive unforced errors, and the South Korean victory was ultimately sealed when China's final shot hit the net.
Having secured a precious gold medal in the women's doubles, the South Korean national team will now look to women's singles world powerhouse An Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance) to carry the baton and hunt for the country's second championship trophy of the tournament.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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