Olympics Previews, Obscure Edition: Badminton

Published Jul 30 2012, 11:35 AM by Kendall Salter

Perhaps you find yourself caught in the middle of a slow stretch of Olympics coverage, in between the speed of Usain Bolt and the spectacular endurance of Michael Phelps. The only thing on is something obscure: fencing, horses, judo, etc. You have to watch. But what, exactly, should spectators be looking for? The Phoenix is here to help. Here's what you need to know about badminton.

Badminton returns home -- sort of -- for London 2012. Great Britain lays claim to being the birthplace of the modern game, transported from India at some hazy point in the 19th century by members of the British bureaucracy. What has since transpired is a sport that caters to backyard barbecue enthusiasts and bored P.E. students everywhere. The sport supposedly evolved from a similar game played in India called "poona," played by British Army officers stationed in the Pune region. In 1873, the game was christened with a new name after making its UK debut at the Duke of Beaufort's estate, the Badminton House.

Over the last two decades, badminton has been traditionally dominated by Asian players. In 2008, medalists came from just four countries: China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea.

The Basics
After unshackling itself from the realms of "demonstration sport" in Barcelona (1992), badminton has evolved to include men's and women's singles and doubles, as well as a mixed doubles event.

Fun Fact
Shuttlecocks are made primarily of two types of material, feathers or synthetic plastic. Shuttlecocks -- in spite of the name -- are usually composed of goose feathers taken from the left wing of the bird (the reasoning behind this seems to defy even the shuttlecock manufacturers). There are 16 feathers in a shuttlecock.

USA! USA!
Three Americans are taking their talents to London this summer, all the way from the sandy shores of the California coast. Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan will compete in the men's doubles event, while Rena Wang competes in women's singles. This is Bach's third Olympics. Gunawan was a gold-medalist in men's doubles in 2000, when he competed for Indonesia.

The Favorites
China's Lin Dan is the reigning gold-medalist and the World Champion on the men's side.