Yu Yang

Yu Yang emerged as a young doubles talent at age 16, winning the mixed doubles at the 2002 Junior World Championships and losing the women’s doubles final. She claimed both titles at the next championship in 2004 prior to moving on to the seniors. There she quickly mingled with the top, earning her first World Championship medal in 2006 (bronze). Her mayor breakthrough came in 2008 when she won the women’s doubles final at the Olympics with Du Jing, beating their South Korean opponents in two games. She added a bronze in the mixed doubles tournament (with He Hanbin). Her next international title came in 2010, when she won the women’s doubles world title with Du. She repeated that feat a year later, now partnering Wang Xiaoli. Additional honors came in the Sudirman Cup, which she helped winning in 2009 and 2011, and the Uber Cup (2006). Finally, she has won three All-England Championships, two in the women’s doubles (2010-11) and one in the mixed doubles (2009).