Thom Gicquel, Delphine Delrue, and Alex Lanier secured historic titles at the 2026 World championships, marking a breakthrough moment for French badminton.
France created history at the 2026 World championships as Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue became the country's first-ever World champions in badminton by winning the mixed doubles title. Less than two hours later, Alex Lanier captured the men's title to double France's celebration on a landmark day for the nation's badminton program.
Reflecting on their journey since pairing up 10 years ago, Gicquel expressed pride in the achievement, noting that a decade prior, no French player could have imagined reaching such heights. Delrue credited the team's progress to a changing mindset and increased federation support, explaining that the national body invested heavily in infrastructure, facilities, staff, and overall performance structure.
The internal rivalry among the French contingent also provided extra motivation. Delrue noted that the squad shares a healthy competition to push France to the top of every tournament, while Gicquel jokingly admitted they were stressed Lanier might win his final quickly, prompting them to lock in their victory first.
Lanier echoed the collective pride, stating that his victory was for French badminton rather than personal glory, driven by a desire to complete a historic day following the mixed doubles triumph. Delrue added that these landmark victories are just the beginning for a rising group of French players that includes Lanier and the Popov brothers.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Sport. Photo courtesy The Hindu Sport.