Genius in Action: Ge Fei & Gu Jun

Genius in Action: Ge Fei & Gu Jun
Ge Fei (left) and Gu Jun were the most accomplished women's doubles pair of their generation.

Ge Fei and Gu Jun had a relatively short career, but from the mid-1990s till the end of the decade, they swept all before them.

Two Olympic gold medals, two World Championships golds, six successive World Grand Prix Finals crowns, four All England championships – these were the prominent prizes in their overflowing treasure chest.

Ge Fei and Gu Jun were very much a ‘modern’ pair in every respect and would have held their own in contemporary badminton. Ge Fei’s reach and anticipation made her a brilliant poacher up front, while Gu Jun, despite being the shorter of the two, smashed with power and kept up relentless pressure from the deep.

Ge Fei and Gu Jun continued China’s dominance of the category, taking over from the likes of Guan Weizhen, Nong Qunhua, Lin Ying and the others, and ensured that China were under no threat in this category in the team events. Even in the two Uber Cup finals that China lost to Indonesia – in 1994 and 1996 – Ge Fei and Gu Jun were unconquered. In addition, Ge Fei was accomplished at mixed doubles too (with Liu Yong), having won a double at the World Championships and the World Cup in 1997.

Career Highlights

Olympics: Gold (1996, 2000)

World Championships: Gold (1997, 1999)

Asian Games: Gold (1998)

World GP Finals: Winners (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999)

All England: Winners (1996, 1997, 1998, 2000)

Other Major Honours

World Cup: Gold (1996, 1997)

Asian Championships: Gold (1994, 1995, 1998, 1999)

Uber Cup: Winner (1998, 2000)

Sudirman Cup: Winner (1995, 1997, 1999)

Interesting Fact

Their three successive All England titles made them the first women’s doubles pair to achieve that feat since Marjorie Henderson and Thelma Kingsbury in 1936.

Vote: Which of Ge Fei/Gun Jun’s matches would you prefer to see?

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