Jennie Gai (/ɡ/; born February 25, 2001)[2] is an American badminton player who competes in international level events.[3] She was a gold medalist at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics,[4] and silver medalists in the 2023 Pan American Games.[5]

Jennie Gai
Personal information
CountryUnited States
Born (2001-02-25) February 25, 2001 (age 23)
Lowell, Massachusetts,
United States
ResidenceFremont, California,
United States
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
HandednessRight
CoachNaoko Fukuman
Tony Gunawan[1]
Women's singles & doubles
Highest ranking66 (WS, 24 January 2023)
114 (WD with Breanna Chi, 24 December 2019)
29 (XD with Vinson Chiu, 18 July 2023)
Current ranking250 (WS)
32 (XD with Vinson Chiu) (30 July 2024)
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2023 Santiago Women's singles
Silver medal – second place 2023 Santiago Mixed doubles
Pan American Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Guatemala City Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Guatemala City Women's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Aguascalientes Women's singles
Pan Am Mixed Team Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 Lima Mixed team
Silver medal – second place 2023 Guadalajara Mixed team
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Santo Domingo Mixed team
Pan Am Female Cup
Gold medal – first place 2022 Acapulco Women's team
Pan Am Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Markham Mixed team
Silver medal – second place 2016 Lima Girls' singles
Silver medal – second place 2017 Markham Girls' singles
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Lima Mixed team
Representing International Olympic Committee Mixed-NOCs
Youth Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Buenos Aires Mixed team
BWF profile

Personal life

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Gai graduated with a bachelor's degree in Nutritional Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2022.[1]

Career

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In the junior event, Gai won six titles in the Pan Am Junior Badminton Championships (U11 girls' doubles in 2011; U13 girls' singles, doubles and mixed doubles in 2013; and also U15 girls' singles, and mixed doubles in 2015). She represented her country at the 2016 BWF World Junior Championships.[6] She won her first senior international title in the 2017 Internacional Mexicano.[7]

In 2018, Gai became the first and only American badminton player since 2010 to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games. She finished the tournament as a quarter-finalist in the girls' singles and won the gold medal in the team event together with Team Alpha.[4]

In 2022, she helped the American women's team win the Pan Am Female Cup, and qualified for the Uber Cup.[8]

In 2023, Gai made her debut at the Pan American Games, clinching two silver medals in the mixed doubles and women's singles.[5]

In 2024, Gai represented her country competing in the Summer Olympics in the mixed doubles with Vinson Chiu.[1]

Achievements

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Pan American Games

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2023 Olympic Training Center, Santiago, Chile   Beiwen Zhang 8–21, 12–21   Silver

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2023 Olympic Training Center,
Santiago, Chile
  Vinson Chiu   Ty Alexander Lindeman
  Josephine Wu
21–17, 17–21, 19–21   Silver

Pan Am Championships

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2019 Gimnasio Olímpico, Aguascalientes, Mexico   Brittney Tam 8–21, 21–14, 18–21   Bronze

Women's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium,
Guatemala City, Guatemala
  Jamie Hsu   Michelle Tong
  Josephine Wu
17–21, 15–21   Bronze

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2024 Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium,
Guatemala City, Guatemala
  Vinson Chiu   Presley Smith
  Allison Lee
21–15, 15–21, 14–21   Silver

Pan Am Junior Championships

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Girls' singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2016 CAR la Videna, Lima, Peru   Qingzi Ouyang 6–21, 9–21   Silver
2017 Markham Pan Am Centre, Markham, Canada   Lauren Lam 12–21, 21–19, 20–22   Silver

BWF International Challenge/Series (9 titles, 7 runners-up)

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Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2017 Internacional Mexicano   Isabel Zhong 21–11, 18–21, 21–16   Winner
2018 Internacional Mexicano   Tahimara Oropeza 21–13, 18–21, 19–21   Runner-up
2021 Guatemala International   Samayara Panwar 21–6, 21–9   Winner
2021 Internacional Mexicano   Lauren Lam 9–21, 15–21   Runner-up

Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 Brazil International   Jamie Hsu   Rachel Honderich
  Jamie Subandhi
15–21, 10–21   Runner-up
2019 Jamaica International   Breanna Chi   Inés Castillo
  Dánica Nishimura
21–11, 21–6   Winner
2019 Silicon Valley International   Breanna Chi   Annie Xu
  Kerry Xu
14–21, 11–21   Runner-up
2019 Internacional Mexicano   Breanna Chi   Jessica Bautista
  Vanessa Villalobos
21–10, 21–10   Winner

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2021 Mexican International   Vinson Chiu   Luis Montoya
  Vanessa Villalobos
21–17, 21–18   Winner
2021 Internacional Mexicano   Vinson Chiu   Nicolas Nguyen
  Alexandra Mocanu
21–13, 21–11   Winner
2022 Mexican International   Vinson Chiu   Naoki Yamada
  Moe Ikeuchi
15–21, 21–18, 10–21   Runner-up
2022 Peru Challenge   Vinson Chiu   Ty Alexander Lindeman
  Josephine Wu
22–20, 13–21, 23–21   Winner
2022 Mexican International   Vinson Chiu   Joshua Yuan
  Allison Lee
21–14, 22–24, 23–21   Winner
2023 Mexican International   Vinson Chiu   Ty Alexander Lindeman
  Josephine Wu
22–20, 21–16   Winner
2023 Maldives International   Vinson Chiu   Hoo Pang Ron
  Teoh Mei Xing
13–21, 18–21   Runner-up
2023 Peru Challenge   Vinson Chiu   Ty Alexander Lindeman
  Josephine Wu
18–21, 15–21   Runner-up
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

BWF Junior International (1 title)

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Girls' singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
2018 Mexican Junior International[note 1]   Fernanda Saponara Rivva 22–20, 21–6   Winner
  BWF Junior International Grand Prix tournament
  BWF Junior International Challenge tournament
  BWF Junior International Series tournament
  BWF Junior Future Series tournament

Notes

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  1. ^ This tournament points equivalent to Continental Junior Championships.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Gai Jennie". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "GAI Jennie". Olympics.com. 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  3. ^ "Jennie Gai". Badminton World Federation. July 13, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Chan, Elaine (November 15, 2018). "Senior Jennie Gai Wins Team Gold at the 2018 Youth Olympic". The Voice. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "U.S. Wins Four Medals at Santiago 2023 Pan American Games". USA Badminton. October 25, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  6. ^ "Jennie Gai - Team USA". United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. July 13, 2020. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020.
  7. ^ Ricardo, Lisset Isabel (September 24, 2017). "Plata y bronce para Cuba" (in Spanish). JIT. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  8. ^ Sankar, Vimal (February 20, 2022). "Canada, United States win titles at Pan Am Male and Female Cup". Inside the Games. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  9. ^ "IV Yonex Mexican International U19 2018". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
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