BWF World Championships: Full list of title winners

China leads the gold medals tally with 69

BWF World Championships is a prestigious tournament which determines the World Champion. Here is a full list of past winners.

The 2023 edition of the BWF World Championships, one of the sport's most important competitions, is set to begin on August 21 and conclude on August 27. The Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, will serve as the location for the future edition. Denmark hosted the first tournament in 1977, and the country won three titles (MS, WS, and XD), while Indonesia (MD) and Japan (WD) each took home one. Before 1983, the championships were held biennially, and later triennially, until 2005. The competition has been held annually since 2005 (leaving the Olympic year in 2021).

Lin Dan has won five titles in the history of the World Championships (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013), making him the most successful player ever. Carolina Marin is the most successful player in the women's singles division, having won three titles (in 2014, 2015, and 2018). The most successful doubles team, though, is China's Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, who have won four championships (2006, 2009, 2010, and 2011).

The medals from the five world championships have only been won by two women's singles players. They are Zhang Ning from China and PV Sindhu from India. In 2019, the first Indian to win a BWF World Championships championship was the former. PV Sindhu would like to redeem himself after missing out on the last tournament owing to injury.

The BWF World Championships have so far produced gold medalists from 13 different nations. With 69 gold medals, China holds the record for the most gold medals.

Let us look at the title winners of the BWF World Championships so far

Men’s Singles

1977 – Flemming Delfs (Denmark)

1980 – Rudy Hartono (Indonesia)

1983 – Icuk Sugiarto (Indonesia)

1985 – Han Jian (China)

1987 – Yang Yang (China)

1989 – Yang Yang (China)

1991 – Zhao Jianhua (China)

1993 – Joko Suprianto (Indonesia)

1995 – Hariyano Arbi (Indonesia)

1997 – Peter Rasmussen (Denmark)

1999 – Sun Jun (China)

2001 – Hendrawan (Indonesia)

2003 – Xia Xuanze (China)

2005 – Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia)

2006 – Lin Dan (China)

2007 – Lin Dan (China)

2009 – Lin Dan (China)

2010 – Chen Jin (China)

2011 – Lin Dan (China)

2013 – Lin Dan (China)

2014 – Chen Long (China)

2015 – Chen Long (China)

2017 – Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)

2018 – Kento Momota (Japan)

2019 – Kento Momota (Japan)

2021 – Loh Kean Yew ( Singapore)

2022 – Viktor Axelson (Denmark)

Women’s Singles

1977 – Lene Koppen (Denmark)

1980 – Verawaty Wiharjo (Indonesia)

1983 – Li Lingwei (China)

1985 – Han Aping (China)

1987 – Han Aping (China)

1989 – Li Lingwei (China)

1991 – Tang Jiuhong (China)

1993 – Susi Susanti (Indonsia)

1995 – Ye Zhaoying (China)

1997 – Ye Zhaoying (China)

1999 – Camila Martin (Denmark)

2001 – Gong Ruiana (China)

2003 – Zhang Ning (China)

2005 – Xie Xingfan (China)

2006 – Xie Xingfan (China)

2007 – Zhu Lin (China)

2009 – Lu Lan (China)

2010 – Wang Lin (China)

2011 – Wang Yihan (China)

2013 – Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)

2014 – Carolina Marin (Spain)

2015 – Carolina Marin (Spain)

2017 – Nozomi Okuhara (Japan)

2018 – Carolina Marin (Spain)

2019 – PV Sindhu (India)

2021 – Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)

2022 – Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)

Men’s Doubles

1977 – Tjun Tjun/Johan Wahjudi

1980 – Ade Chandra/Christian Hadinata

1983 – Steen Fladberg/Jesper Helledie

1985 – Park Joo-bong/Kim Moon-soo

1987 – Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi

1989 – Li Yongbo/Tian Bingyi

1991 – Park Joo-bong/Kim Moon-soo

1993 – Ricky Subagja/Rudy Gunawan

1995 – Rexy Mainaky/Ricky Subagja

1997 – Candra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto

1999 – Ha Tae-kwon/Kim Dong-moon

2001 – Halim Haryanto/Tony Gunawan

2003 – Lars Paaske/Jonas Rasmussen

2005 – Howard Bach/Tony Gunawan

2006 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng

2007 – Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan

2009 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng

2010 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng

2011 – Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng

2013 – Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan

2014 – Ko Sung-hyun/Shin Baek-cheol

2015 – Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan

2017 – Liu Cheng/Zhang Nan

2018 – Li Junhui/Liu Yuchen

2019 – Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan

2021 – Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi

2022 – Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik

Women’s Doubles

1977 Etsuko Toganoo/Emiko Ueno

1980 Nora Perry/Jane Webster

1983 Lin Ying/Wu Dixi

1985 Han Aiping/Li Lingwei

1987 Lin Ying/Guan Weizhen

1989 Lin Ying/Guan Weizhen

1991 Guan Weizhen/Nong Qunhua

1993 Nong Qunhua/Zhou Lei

1995 Gil Young-ah/Jang Hye-ock

1997 Ge Fei/Gu Jun

1999 Ge Fei/Gu Jun

2001 Gao Ling/Huang Sui

2003 Gao Ling/Huang Sui

2005 Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen

2006 Gao Ling/Huang Sui

2007 Zhang Jiewen/Yang Wei

2009 Zhang Yawen/Zhao Tingting

2010 Du Jing/Yu Yang

2011 Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang

2013 Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang

2014 Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei

2015 Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei

2017 Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan

2018 Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara

2019 Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara

2021 Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan

2022 Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan

Mixed Doubles

1977 Steen Skovgaard/Lene Køppen

1980 Christian Hadinata/Imelda Wiguno

1983 Thomas Kihlström/Nora Perry

1985 Park Joo-bong/Yoo Sang-hee

1987 Wang Pengren/Shi Fangjing

1989 Park Joo-bong/Chung Myung-hee

1991 Park Joo-bong/Chung Myung-hee

1993 Thomas Lund/Catrine Bengtsson

1995 Thomas Lund/Marlene Thomsen

1997 Liu Yong/Ge Fei

1999 Kim Dong-moon/Ra Kyung-min

2001 Zhang Jun/Gao Ling

2003 Kim Dong-moon/Ra Kyung-min

2005 Nova Widianto/Liliyana Natsir

2006 Nathan Robertson/Gail Emms

2007 Nova Widianto/Liliyana Natsir

2009 Thomas Laybourn/Kamilla Rytter Juhl

2010 Zheng Bo/Ma Jin

2011 Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei

2013 Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir

2014 Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei

2015 Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei

2017 Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir

2018 Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong

2019 Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong

2021 Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai

2022 Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong