Lee Hyun-il
Encyclopedia
Lee Hyun-il (born April 17, 1980 in Seoul
) is a male badminton
player from South Korea
.
where he showed signs of promise as an ace singles player for Team Korea. In the men's team event, Lee dominated the opponents he faced in the tourney, completing all three matches less than 30 minutes and allowing only seven points in the semifinals and eight in the final. Team Korea eventually won their first men's team gold medal since 1986
when Park Joo-bong
and Kim Moon-soo
led the team.
held in Eindhoven, Netherlands
, Lee helped his team to win its third Sudirman Cup title, winning all three singles matches. Though lots of great doubles players from South Korea had won numerous international competitions, Team Korea had always struggled to win the Thomas
and Sudirman Cup competitions due to the lack of top men's singles players. However, Lee, the winner of the 2003 Swiss Open
, showed spectacular performances through the Sudirman Cup tourney, not dropping a single set. In the semifinal, Lee defeated 2001 World Championship
runner-up and 2001 All England Open
champion Peter Gade
2-0, which led his team to a 3-2 victory over Denmark
. Lee won another 2-0 upset victory over world number one ranked Chen Hong in Game 1 of the South Korea's final team event against China
.
, which was his first Olympic appearance. Lee easily defeated Stuart Brehaut
of Australia
in the first round. However, he was surprisingly eliminated in the second round by Boonsak Ponsana
of Thailand
.
held in Madrid
, Spain
, Lee captured his first world championship medal in the men's singles event. He defeated Chetan Anand
, Jan Fröhlich
, Eric Pang
and Chen Jin
before losing to Bao Chunlai
of China in the semifinals.
and Lee Chong Wei
in Korea Open, he participated in the Beijing Olympics
again, and managed to reach semi-finals before being defeated by world number 2, Lee Chong Wei
from Malaysia, then being beaten by Chen Jin
of China to the bronze medal.
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
) is a male 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 South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
2002 Asian Games
Lee competed in the 2002 Asian Games2002 Asian Games
The 2002 Asian Games, also known as XIV Asiad is a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan is the second city, after Seoul in 1986 to host the Games. A total of 419 events in 38 sports were contested by 7,711 athletes from 44 countries...
where he showed signs of promise as an ace singles player for Team Korea. In the men's team event, Lee dominated the opponents he faced in the tourney, completing all three matches less than 30 minutes and allowing only seven points in the semifinals and eight in the final. Team Korea eventually won their first men's team gold medal since 1986
1986 Asian Games
The 10th Asian Games were held from September 20, 1986 to October 5, 1986 in Seoul, South Korea. The city was supposed to host the 1970 games, but it received security threats from neighboring North Korea, forcing it to give up hosting the games to previous 1966 host Bangkok, Thailand...
when Park Joo-bong
Park Joo-bong
Park Joo-bong is a former badminton player from South Korea who excelled from the early 1980s through the mid 1990s....
and Kim Moon-soo
Kim Moon-soo (badminton)
Kim Moon-Soo is a former badminton player from South Korea.He has won 2 titles in the World Badminton Championships in men's doubles. He also won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics and 3 All England Open Badminton Championships in men's doubles...
led the team.
| 2002 Asian Games - Men's Team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Round | Result | Score | Opponents |
| October 6 | Quarterfinal | Win | 15–11, 15–7 |  Japan Hidetaka YamadaHidetaka Yamada is a male badminton player from Japan.Yamada played badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's singles, losing in the round of 32 to Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.-Link:*... |
| October 7 | Semifinal | Win | 15–5, 15–2 |  Malaysia Lee Tsuen SengLee Tsuen Seng Lee Tsuen Seng is a professional badminton player from Malaysia.In 2001 he won the Dutch Open and in 2006 the New Zealand Open.-Achievements:*2002 - Rutac Holland Open - Runner-up*2003 - Yonex All England Open - Quarterfinalist... |
| October 9 | Final | Win | 15–3, 15–5 |  Indonesia Rony Agustinus |
2003 Sudirman Cup
At the 2003 Sudirman CupSudirman Cup
Sudirman Cup is the world mixed team badminton championship which takes place every two years. There are five matches in every round: men and women's singles, men and women's doubles and mixed doubles. The Cup is named after Dick Sudirman, a former Indonesian badminton player and the founder of the...
held in Eindhoven, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Lee helped his team to win its third Sudirman Cup title, winning all three singles matches. Though lots of great doubles players from South Korea had won numerous international competitions, Team Korea had always struggled to win the Thomas
Thomas Cup
The Thomas Cup, sometimes called the World Men's Team Championships, is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation , the sport's global governing body...
and Sudirman Cup competitions due to the lack of top men's singles players. However, Lee, the winner of the 2003 Swiss Open
Swiss Open (badminton)
The Swiss Open is an annual badminton tournament held in Switzerland since 1955 and become one of the BWF Super Series tournament began 2007. 2011 the tournament was dropped down to a Grand Prix Gold event.-Previous winners:-Performances by nation:...
, showed spectacular performances through the Sudirman Cup tourney, not dropping a single set. In the semifinal, Lee defeated 2001 World Championship
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:...
runner-up and 2001 All England Open
2001 All England Open Badminton Championships
The 2001 All England Open was the 91st edition of the All England Open Badminton Championships. It was held from 7 March to 11 March 2001, in Birmingham, England.It was a four star tournament and the prize money was USD$125,000.-Final results:...
champion Peter Gade
Peter Gade
Peter Høeg Gade is a Danish professional badminton player. He currently resides in Holte in Copenhagen...
2-0, which led his team to a 3-2 victory over Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Lee won another 2-0 upset victory over world number one ranked Chen Hong in Game 1 of the South Korea's final team event against China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
| 2003 Sudirman Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Round | Result | Score | Opponents |
| March 18 | Group 1A | Win | 15–5, 15–5 |  Sweden Rasmus WengbergRasmus Wengberg Rasmus Wengberg is a Swedish badminton player who was bronze medalist in the 2002 European Championships in Malmö.Born and raised in Skåne, Wengberg played until 2005 for IFK umeå... |
| March 22 | Semifinal | Win | 15–9, 15–12 |  Denmark Peter GadePeter Gade Peter Høeg Gade is a Danish professional badminton player. He currently resides in Holte in Copenhagen... |
| March 23 | Final | Win | 15–10, 15–12 |  People's Republic of China Chen Hong |
2004 Olympics
Lee competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, which was his first Olympic appearance. Lee easily defeated Stuart Brehaut
Stuart Brehaut
Stuart Brehaut is a badminton player from Australia.Brehaut played badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's singles, losing comprehensively in the first round to Lee Hyun-il of Korea 15-3 15-2....
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the first round. However, he was surprisingly eliminated in the second round by Boonsak Ponsana
Boonsak Ponsana
Boonsak Ponsana is a male badminton player from Thailand.His younger sister Salakjit Ponsana is also part of the Thailand badminton team.-Career:...
of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
2006
At the 2006 IBF World Championships2006 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:...
held in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Lee captured his first world championship medal in the men's singles event. He defeated Chetan Anand
Chetan Anand (badminton)
Chetan Anand Buradagunta is a badminton player from India. He is considered to be one of the best male badminton players in the country after Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi and Pullela Gopichand. Chetan Anand was a four time National Badminton champion in 2003, 2006, 2007 & 2009 but his world ranking...
, Jan Fröhlich
Jan Fröhlich
Jan Fröhlich is a male badminton player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Frohlich played the 2007 BWF World Championships in men's singles, and was defeated in the first round by Chan Yan Kit, of Hong Kong, 21-15, 21-9. 2005 he won the Kenya International.-External links:*...
, Eric Pang
Eric Pang
Eric Pang is a Dutch male badminton player, who became European Youth Champion in 2001.As a part of the BC Amersfoort team Pang reached the final of the European Cup 2007 held in Amersfoort. Together with Lotte Bruil-Jonathans, Yao Jie, Larisa Griga, Dicky Palyama and Chris Bruil. The final was...
and Chen Jin
Chen Jin
Chen Jin is a male badminton player from China. He is currently rank 6 in world singles men, after defeating Taufik Hidayat in the final of the 2010 BWF World Championships in Paris.-2004–2008:...
before losing to Bao Chunlai
Bao Chunlai
Bao Chunlai is a male, left-handed badminton player from the People's Republic of China.-Career:The tall, powerful Bao has ranked among the world's leading singles player during the first decade of the 21st century...
of China in the semifinals.
| 2006 World Championships - Men's Singles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Round | Result | Score | Opponents |
| September 18 | First Rd | Win | 21-18, 18-21, 21-10 |  India Chetan AnandChetan Anand (badminton) Chetan Anand Buradagunta is a badminton player from India. He is considered to be one of the best male badminton players in the country after Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi and Pullela Gopichand. Chetan Anand was a four time National Badminton champion in 2003, 2006, 2007 & 2009 but his world ranking... |
| September 19 | Second Rd | Win | 21-10, 21-4 |  Czech Republic Jan FröhlichJan Fröhlich Jan Fröhlich is a male badminton player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Frohlich played the 2007 BWF World Championships in men's singles, and was defeated in the first round by Chan Yan Kit, of Hong Kong, 21-15, 21-9. 2005 he won the Kenya International.-External links:*... |
| September 20 | Third Rd | Win | 21-16, 21-6 |  Netherlands Eric PangEric Pang Eric Pang is a Dutch male badminton player, who became European Youth Champion in 2001.As a part of the BC Amersfoort team Pang reached the final of the European Cup 2007 held in Amersfoort. Together with Lotte Bruil-Jonathans, Yao Jie, Larisa Griga, Dicky Palyama and Chris Bruil. The final was... |
| September 21 | Quarterfinal | Win | 21-14, 19-21, 21-12 | People's Republic of China Chen Jin Chen Jin Chen Jin is a male badminton player from China. He is currently rank 6 in world singles men, after defeating Taufik Hidayat in the final of the 2010 BWF World Championships in Paris.-2004–2008:... |
| September 22 | Semifinal | Loss | 15–21, 19-21 | People's Republic of China Bao Chunlai Bao Chunlai Bao Chunlai is a male, left-handed badminton player from the People's Republic of China.-Career:The tall, powerful Bao has ranked among the world's leading singles player during the first decade of the 21st century... |
2008 Olympics
In 2008, after defeating top rank players Lin DanLin Dan
Lin Dan is a professional badminton player from China. He is a four-time world champion and the reigning Olympic champion. Widely considered to be the greatest badminton player of all time, by the age of 27 Lin had completed the "Super Grand Slam", having won all major titles in world badminton:...
and Lee Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei
Datuk Lee Chong Wei is a professional badminton player from Malaysia who resides in Bukit Mertajam. Lee won the silver medal in the 2008 Olympic Games, thus becoming the first Malaysian to reach the final of the men's singles event and ending Malaysia's Olympic medal drought since the 1996 Games...
in Korea Open, he participated in the Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
again, and managed to reach semi-finals before being defeated by world number 2, Lee Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei
Datuk Lee Chong Wei is a professional badminton player from Malaysia who resides in Bukit Mertajam. Lee won the silver medal in the 2008 Olympic Games, thus becoming the first Malaysian to reach the final of the men's singles event and ending Malaysia's Olympic medal drought since the 1996 Games...
from Malaysia, then being beaten by Chen Jin
Chen Jin
Chen Jin is a male badminton player from China. He is currently rank 6 in world singles men, after defeating Taufik Hidayat in the final of the 2010 BWF World Championships in Paris.-2004–2008:...
of China to the bronze medal.
Retirement and comeback
After the 2008 Olympics, Lee announced his retirement from international badminton and only competed in national competitions. However, in April 2010 he came out of retirement after much persuasion from the coach and teammates to fill the void of singles players in the Team Korea squad. In May 2010, Lee participated in the 2010 Thomas Cup and played in two singles matches.Singles
| Outcome | Event | Year | Venue | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympics 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... |
|||||
| 4 | Singles | 2008 | People's Republic of China Beijing, China |
||
| World Championships | |||||
| 3 | Singles | 2006 |  Spain Madrid, Spain |
||
| Asian Games Badminton at the Asian Games Badminton is one of the regular Asian Games sports since 1962 in Jakarta, Indonesia.-History:Badminton made its debut in the Asian Games as a demonstration sport at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan, and became a regular competitive sport in 1962. In the 1962 Games, six events were held, with... |
|||||
| 3 | Singles | 2006 |  Qatar Doha, Qatar |
||
| 2 | Singles | 2002 |  South Korea Busan, Korea |
Indonesia Taufik Hidayat Taufik Hidayat Taufik Hidayat is an Indonesian badminton player. He is a former World and Olympic champion in men's singles... |
7-15, 9-15 |
| All England Open 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... |
|||||
| 2 | Singles | 2006 |  England Birmingham, England |
People's Republic of China Lin Dan Lin Dan Lin Dan is a professional badminton player from China. He is a four-time world champion and the reigning Olympic champion. Widely considered to be the greatest badminton player of all time, by the age of 27 Lin had completed the "Super Grand Slam", having won all major titles in world badminton:... |
7-15, 7-15 |
| Other International Tournaments | |||||
| 1 | Singles | 2008 |  Germany German OpenGerman Open (badminton) The German Open is an annual badminton tournament held in Germany since 1955 and organized by German Badminton Association or Deustcher Badminton Verband .... |
Japan Sho Sasaki Sho Sasaki -Career:In 2007 he won the Japanese National Championships in men's singles, and 7 international tournaments: the Bahrain Satellite Badminton Tournament, the Banuinvest International Championships, the Osaka International Challenge, the Israel International, the Mauritius International, the... |
22-20, 21-5 |
| 1 | Singles | 2008 | South Korea Korea Open Korea Open (badminton) The Korea Open is an annual badminton event that commonly held in Seoul, South Korea. The tournament is also known as Korea Open Super Series because it become one of the BWF Super Series tournament began 2007.... |
People's Republic of China Lin Dan Lin Dan Lin Dan is a professional badminton player from China. He is a four-time world champion and the reigning Olympic champion. Widely considered to be the greatest badminton player of all time, by the age of 27 Lin had completed the "Super Grand Slam", having won all major titles in world badminton:... |
4-21, 23-21, 25-23 |
| 1 | Singles | 2005 |  Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei OpenChinese Taipei Open (badminton) The Chinese Taipei Open in badminton is an open international championships held in Taiwan since the 1970s,but they took place only in irregular periods. Since 1997 they are regularly held, unless in the 2001 edition, due to the economic crisis in Asia.... |
South Korea Shon Seung-mo Shon Seung-mo Shon Seung-mo is a male badminton player from South Korea.Shon played badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men' singles, defeating Antti Viitikko of Finland and Richard Vaughan of Great Britain in the first two rounds. In the quarterfinals, Shon defeated Chen Hong of People's Republic of... |
15-13, 15-6 |
| 1 | Singles | 2005 | Indonesia Indonesia Open Indonesia Open (badminton) The Indonesia Open in an annual badminton tournament organized by Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia and held in Indonesia since 1982. It became part of the BWF Super Series tournament in 2007 and got the Premier Super Series status in 2011.... |
 Thailand Boonsak PonsanaBoonsak Ponsana Boonsak Ponsana is a male badminton player from Thailand.His younger sister Salakjit Ponsana is also part of the Thailand badminton team.-Career:... |
15-10, 15-3 |
| 1 | Singles | 2003 | Germany German Open German Open (badminton) The German Open is an annual badminton tournament held in Germany since 1955 and organized by German Badminton Association or Deustcher Badminton Verband .... |
People's Republic of China Lin Dan Lin Dan Lin Dan is a professional badminton player from China. He is a four-time world champion and the reigning Olympic champion. Widely considered to be the greatest badminton player of all time, by the age of 27 Lin had completed the "Super Grand Slam", having won all major titles in world badminton:... |
15-4, 15-4 |
| 1 | Singles | 2003 | Netherlands Dutch Open Dutch Open (badminton) The Dutch Open is an annual badminton tournament held in the Netherlands since 1932 and currently organized by Nederlandse Badminton Bond . It is a part of the European Badminton Circuit.-Past winners:-External links:**... |
Malaysia Muhd Hafiz B Hashim |
5-15, 15-8, 15-6 |
| 1 | Singles | 2003 |  Switzerland Swiss OpenSwiss Open (badminton) The Swiss Open is an annual badminton tournament held in Switzerland since 1955 and become one of the BWF Super Series tournament began 2007. 2011 the tournament was dropped down to a Grand Prix Gold event.-Previous winners:-Performances by nation:... |
Denmark Anders Boesen |
15-10, 15-2 |
| 1 | Singles | 2002 | Japan Japan Open Japan Open (badminton) The Japan Open is an annual badminton tournament held in Japan. It became part of the BWF Super Series tournaments in 2007.-Past winners:... |
People's Republic of China Xia Xuanze Xia Xuanze Xia Xuanze is a former male Chinese badminton player who played singles at the world level from the late 1990s through the first few years of the 21st century. Now he is a men's singles coach for the national team of China.-Player Attributes:... |
8-7, 7-5, 0-7 |
| 1 | Singles | 2001 |  United States US Open |
Denmark Kenneth Jonassen Kenneth Jonassen Kenneth Jonassen is a male badminton player from Denmark, who formerly had the fastest smash record in the singles competition, with a 298 km/h shot... |
6-8, 7-2, 7-2 |