Beijing: Two-time women’s doubles world champion and London Olympic women’s doubles gold medalist Tian Qing has retired from badminton, saying she’s officially quitting the China national badminton team after spending 10-years with the Chinese senior team.
“I have submitted my resignation letter to both the national and the province of Hunan team. This is because my golden age in women’s doubles badminton is over,” said Tian Qing.
“I will be going to Hunan badminton Management Center, helping the province of Hunan to nurture and to grow young talent.”
Tian Qing and her women’s doubles partner Zhao Yunlei had won the women’s doubles gold medal at the London Olympic, the 2014 World Championships in Copenhagen, and the 2015 World Championships in Jakarta.
However, although Tian/Zhao were ranked No.7 on 5 May 2016 at the end of the Rio Olympic qualification period, they did not get a chance to defend their women’s doubles gold medal in Rio as their entry was withdrawn by China’s National Olympic Committee (NOC). Their places in the Olympics were taken by their compatriots, Luo Ying and Luo Yu.
As a result, China failed to win any medal at the Rio Olympic women’s doubles badminton event for the first time since the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Tian is the third women’s doubles player to retire from the Chinese badminton national team after Yu Yang and Zhao Yunlei have resigned from the national squad in recent weeks.
