NEW DELHI: For the previous 29 editions of the BWF World Championships, France had collected simply two medals. On Sunday night in New Delhi, it doubled that tally within the house of two hours, and each had been gold.Pi Hongyan gained a bronze in girls’s singles in 2009; Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue added a bronze of their very own in combined doubles final 12 months. On the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the pair of Gicquel and Delrue clinched gold, after which Alex Lanier gained a one-sided males’s singles ultimate.Apart from being the primary French participant or pair to win a gold medal on the World Championships, extra milestones got here their method. It was the primary time a European pairing had gained a combined doubles gold in 17 years. Lanier, in the meantime, grew to become the primary non-Danish European to win a males’s singles gold. Moreover, it was the primary time since 1983 that European gamers gained two gold medals.
We might be welcomed like no person is aware of us. No one might be ready for us. It isn’t soccer or basketball… We hope that hundreds might be ready, however we all know that will not occur.
Thom Gicquel
Their achievement, nevertheless, comes with an odd contradiction. France now has two world champions, but neither expects an airport reception.“We might be welcomed like no person is aware of us. No one might be ready for us. It isn’t soccer or basketball… We hope that hundreds might be ready, however we all know that will not occur,” stated Gicquel, to a chuckle from his compatriot Delrue.
France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue pose for a photograph as they declare gold within the combined doubles ultimate match towards China’s Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping on the BWF World Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI PhotO)
France’s rise wasn’t unintended.Youngsters enter regional coaching centres between 11 and 14, graduate to the nationwide programme, and are supported by greater than 2,000 golf equipment throughout the nation. That community barely existed within the Seventies, when France had round 3,000 registered gamers. At the moment, the determine is sort of 250,000.To draw expertise from outdoors the primary cities, native governments subsidise golf equipment primarily based on growth rankings, serving to preserve membership charges inexpensive and making the game accessible to youngsters and immigrant communities alike.
The mentality shift
Former males’s World No. 1 Peter Gade, who was France’s nationwide coach between 2015 and 2018, stated a change in mentality was wanted first. “We needed to maneuver away from short-term pondering and begin serious about turning into the very best in Europe, and even the most effective on the planet,” the Dane informed Reuters. “That was a giant a part of our essential message: to create perception amongst gamers, coaches, and throughout the system.”
France’s Alex Lanier in motion towards Japan’s Kodai Naraoka within the males’s singles ultimate match on the BWF World Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI Picture)
The depth is now unmistakable. France has 5 males contained in the world’s prime 100, together with Lanier and the Popov brothers, Christo and Toma Jr., whereas 11 French doubles pairs occupy the highest 100 throughout the three disciplines.Lanier, the newly topped world champion, is poised to leap to World No. 7 when the rankings are revealed. Earlier than successful the title in New Delhi, he had gained the gold medal on the 2025 European Championships and, in 2024, grew to become the primary French participant to win a BWF World Tour Tremendous 750 event in Japan.Gicquel and Delrue sealed the bronze medal ultimately 12 months’s World Championships in Paris, and this 12 months, they reached the All England ultimate and the semifinals on the Indonesia and China Tremendous 1000 tournaments. Their greatest success on the BWF World Tour got here in 2025, after they gained the Indonesia Open.
We began to play collectively after we entered the Nationwide Centre at 17, I believe. The federation needed a younger pair that would play for a very long time collectively.
Delphine Delrue
Regardless of a first-round exit, Christo Popov is slated to climb to World No. 2 subsequent week. Simply France’s greatest medal hope, the 24-year-old is a World Junior Championships bronze medallist, however his greatest achievement got here final 12 months when he gained the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals.Lengthy earlier than taking France into the historical past books on Sunday, the 27-year-old duo had been navigating uncharted waters. Gicquel, born in Excursions, began enjoying twenty years in the past. Delrue, born in Sarcelles, additionally started her badminton journey as a seven-year-old. At round 17, they got here collectively to kind a doubles group.
France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue pose for a photograph as they declare gold within the combined doubles ultimate match towards China’s Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping on the BWF World Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI Picture)
“We began to play collectively after we entered the Nationwide Centre at 17, I believe. The federation needed a younger pair that would play for a very long time collectively. So that they stated, ‘okay, you’ll play with Thom’. After which we made good outcomes firstly. So we stored enjoying collectively and we’re fairly pleased with that,” Delrue defined.“I believe we had an excellent group after we had been younger. We gained lots in Europe and to have this mentality at 18 helps lots after we come onto the world stage. The federation put more cash, extra effort for us to be higher, so I believe that helped us to develop. Now the game could be very skilled in France, in order that’s why lots of people are coming now,” she continued.
At the moment it was the day for France, and when the combined gained, everybody was pleased, and I simply thought that I wanted to provide them a double smile, double moments, and I wanted to make historical past once more
Alex Lanier
The funding, the golf equipment and the idea had all been pointing in direction of a breakthrough. On Sunday, France lastly had the medals to show it.“I believe it is undoubtedly enormous for France. We felt all of the help from the followers, we additionally received all of the help from all of the employees behind,” Lanier stated after his win.“I did not really feel that I gained for me as we speak, in comparison with the times earlier than, or yesterday the place I felt it was undoubtedly for me. At the moment it was the day for France, and when the combined gained, everybody was pleased, and I simply thought that I wanted to provide them a double smile, double moments, and I wanted to make historical past once more.”As Gicquel and Delrue returned via the media zone, recent from the highest step of the rostrum, teammates sprayed them with champagne. France had waited 29 World Championships for this second. There was little left to do however flip the bottle round and have fun historical past.
