; China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

) is a female badminton

Badminton

Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

 player from the People's Republic of China.

Career

Noted for her consistency, anticipation, forecourt prowess, and sporting smile, Gao is unarguably, to many fans, the most successful doubles specialists in the history of women's badminton. In addition, she earned the most Olympic medals in recorded history in badminton. At one time or another she has won titles at almost every top tier tournament in the world. Gao has earned four gold medals (among nine medals in total) at the BWF World Championships

BWF World Championships

The BWF World Championships is a tournament organized by the Badminton World Federation to crown the best badminton players in the world....

, three of them in women's doubles with Huang Sui

Huang Sui

-Career:Although Huang has won the Chinese National mixed doubles title almost all of her many international titles have come in women's doubles with Gao Ling, in a partnership where Huang's strength and consistency in the backcourt have complemented Gao's ability in the forecourt...

 (2001

2001 IBF World Championships

The 12th IBF World Championships, also known as the World Badminton Championships, were held in the Palacio de Deportes de San Pablo, Seville, Spain, between 3 June and 10 June 2001.-Medalists:-Men's Singles:-Women's Singles:-Men's Doubles:...

, 2003

2003 IBF World Championships

The 13th IBF World Championships were held in the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, United Kingdom, between 28 July and 3 August 2003. The championships had originally been planned to take place from 12 May-18 May, but were rescheduled following the international outbreak of SARS.This edition also...

, and 2006

2006 IBF World Championships

The 2006 IBF World Championships was held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, from September 18 to September 24, 2006.-Medalists:-Men's Singles:-Men's Doubles:-Women's Singles:-Women's Doubles:-Mixed Doubles:-Medal account:...

) and one of them in mixed doubles with Zhang Jun (2001

2001 IBF World Championships

The 12th IBF World Championships, also known as the World Badminton Championships, were held in the Palacio de Deportes de San Pablo, Seville, Spain, between 3 June and 10 June 2001.-Medalists:-Men's Singles:-Women's Singles:-Men's Doubles:...

). She and Zhang Jun also won consecutive gold medals in mixed doubles at the 2000

Badminton at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Badminton was held at The Dome and Exhibition Complex at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney from September 17–23, 2000. The competition included five events ....

 and 2004 Olympics

Badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics was held at the Goudi Olympic Hall at the Goudi Olympic Complex from August 14 through August 21. Both men and women competed in their own singles and doubles events and together they competed in a mixed doubles event....

, overcoming severe tests in both. Gao has not earned an Olympic

Summer Olympic Games

The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...

 gold medal in women's doubles, a relative gap in her resume, but earned a bronze medal in 2000 with Qin Yiyuan

Qin Yiyuan

Qin Yiyuan is a Chinese former world level women's badminton player.-Career:A doubles specialist, Qin played internationally for China from the mid 1990s through the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, a period during which her fellow countrywomen Ge Fei and Gu Jun dominated international women's doubles...

, and a silver medal with Huang Sui in 2004. From 2001 through 2006 she and Huang also captured a record six consecutive women's doubles titles at the venerable All-England Championships

All England Open Badminton Championships

The All England Open Badminton Championships, or simply All England, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious badminton tournaments. Played annually, it developed after the success of world's first badminton tournament held in Guildford in 1898...

. Their All-England streak was finally broken in the semifinals of the 2007 tournament by fellow countrywomen Zhang Yawen

Zhang Yawen

Zhang Yawen is a female badminton player from the People's Republic of China.-Career:Zhang has specialized in women's doubles and mixed doubles, earning numerous international titles in both events...

 and Wei Yili

Wei Yili

Wei Yili is a female badminton player from the People's Republic of China.-Career:A women's doubles specialist, since 2001 Wei has competed on the world circuit in partnership with a variety of her fellow countrywomen, but most often with either Zhao Tingting or Zhang Yawen...

. Gao has also shared five All-England mixed doubles titles, three with Zhang Jun (2001, 2003, and 2006), and two with Zheng Bo

Zheng Bo

Zheng Bo is a male badminton player from Hunan, People's Republic of China.-Career:A doubles specialist, Zheng won men's doubles at the 2003 Indonesia Open with Sang Yang. Zheng and Sang also secured the winning point against Denmark in the final of the 2004 Thomas Cup, to clinch China's first...

 (2007 and 2008). She has been a member of the perennial world champion Chinese

China national badminton team

The China national badminton team represents the People's Republic of China in international badminton team competitions and is controlled by the Badminton Association of the People's Republic of China, the governing body for badminton in China....

 Uber Cup

Uber Cup

The Uber Cup, sometimes called the World Team Championships for Women, is a major international badminton competition contested by women's national badminton teams. First held in 1956-1957 and contested at three year intervals, it has been contested every two years since 1984 when its scheduled...

 (women's international) team since 2000.

External links

• Chinese Olympic Committee page