Huang Sui

The 19-year-old Huang Sui (at the back) first partnered with Gao Ling (at the front) in 2001, winningthe 2001 World Championships. From 2001 to 2007, Gao / Huang reached the final of every major competition, winning three of them (2001, 2003, 2006 WC) and losing the other three to Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen (2004 Athen Games; 2005, 2007 WC). Gao / Huang won the All England Open six consecutive times (2001 to 2006). Huang also won three consecutive Uber Cups (2002, 2004, 2006) and two Sudirman Cups (2001, 2005) with the Chinese team.

Huang’s era ended suddenly, even more surprisingly than how it began. Two months after winning the silver medal at the 2007 WC, 25-year-old Huang Sui retired, to leave Beijing and return home to care for her seriously ill father.

Huang was inducted into the BWF Hall of Fame in 2011, together with Gao Ling and Zhang Jun, who was Gao Ling’s mixed doubles partner. However, Huang came back in 2012, competing at the Australian Open and losing in the first round. To people’s surpise, this time she represented Australia (as a resident, not a citizen). It caused a huge controversy in China and she never played again.