Yao Jie (; born 10 April 1977) is a People's Republic of China, Chinese-born badminton player who now resides in the Netherlands.
Yao is one of a number of badminton players who have emigrated from China, in part, because the depth of badminton talent in that country has made it difficult for them to be selected for major international competitions. Prior to her move to the Netherlands, she won the BWF World Junior Championships in girls' doubles with Liu Lu (badminton), Liu Lu in 1994 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and helps the Chinese national women's team clinched a gold medal at the 1997 East Asian Games. But her passion was for the ladies singles event.
Since moving to the Netherlands Yao Jie has won the women's singles event 4 times at the Dutch Open (badminton), Dutch Open (2003, 2008, 2009 & 2011), she won the Thailand Open (badminton), Thailand Open twice (2004, 2005), and the biennial European Badminton Championships, European Championships once (2002 European Badminton Championships, 2002), and a high number of 11 Dutch National Badminton Championships, Dutch National Championships. Nine times the Dutch crown in singles and twice in doubles. She was also a 3-times European bronze medalist in the 2004 European Badminton Championships, 2004, 2006 European Badminton Championships and 2012 European Badminton Championships. She won the Velo Dutch International twice, in 2001 beating Mia Audina 9–11, 11–1, 13–10 and in 2012 beating Malaysian Sonia Su Ya Cheah 19–21, 21–9, 21–12 in the final. She also won the Italian International in 2011 beating Bulgarian Petya Nedelcheva in the final 21–11, 21–17 and won the Finnish International Open in 2012 beating Canadian Michelle Li 22–20, 21–19. Yao Jie was a runner-up to Zhang Ning at the China Open (badminton), China Open in 2006 China Open (badminton), 2006, runner-up to Juliane Schenk of Germany at the 2010 Dutch Open, runner-up to Li Xuerui of China at the 2011 Bitburger Open Grand Prix Gold and runner-up to Juliane Schenk at the 2012 Bitburger Open Grand Prix Gold.
Her performances at Badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics, 2004 Olympic Games and at recent BWF World Championships have not been among her strongest. She was eliminated in the round of 16 at the Athens Games by Hong Kong's Wang Chen (badminton player), Wang Chen and has proceeded no farther than that round in any of her World Championship appearances. A big disappointment was her non participating at the 2008 Olympic Games in her native China, despite being qualified by the international norm, but not by the more stricter Dutch qualifying norm. In January 2009 Yao Jie married Dutch player Eric Pang.
In March 2011 Yao Jie was part of the Dutch Fource team, together with Dutch top players Dicky Palyama, Judith Meulendijks and Eric Pang. This team was formed as a result of a conflict with the Dutch Badminton Association, Nederlandse Badminton Bond sponsored by Yonex, and these four players were non Yonex sponsored players, Yao Jie playing for sponsor Carlton. The conflict heightened in 2011 when these four non Yonex sponsored players were not included in the National squad to play the European Team Championships in Amsterdam. Despite all these juridical sponsor wranglings, Yao Jie managed to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games, London Olympics. At the 2012 Olympic Games in the Badminton at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Women's Singles Yao Jie won Group F by beating Akvilė Stapušaitytė of Lithuania 21–16, 21–7 and Ragna Ingólfsdóttir of Iceland 21–12, 25–23. After the group stage, in the knock-out stage round of 16 Yao Jie lost to Saina Nehwal of India 14–21, 16–21. Saina later progressed to win India's first Olympic badminton medal, a bronze.
Nowadays Yao Jie has her own Badminton Academy at her hometown Wuhan in China and is ambassador for Dutch Badminton in sports and cultural exchanges between the Netherlands and China.
Achievements
World Cup
''Women's singles''
European Championships
''Women's singles''
World Junior Championships
''Girls' doubles''
''Mixed doubles''
BWF Grand Prix
The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold, Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017. The World Badminton Grand Prix was sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation from 1983 to 2006.
''Women's singles''
: BWF Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix, BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
: BWF Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix, IBF/BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series
''Women's singles''
: BWF International Challenge tournament
: IBF International tournament
Record Against Selected Opponents
Includes results from all competitions against Super Series finalists, World Championship semifinalists, Olympic quarterfinalists, and all Olympic opponents.
[http://bwfcontent.tournamentsoftware.com/profile/selectheadtohead.aspx?id=15EC2421-543A-4E50-B70C-04C4955053AE ]
* Petya Nedelcheva 7–4
* Gong Ruina 0–2
* Gong Zhichao 0–1
* Jiang Yanjiao 0–10
* Li Xuerui 0–2
* Liu Xin (badminton), Liu Xin 1–0
* Lu Lan 1–3
* Wang Lin (badminton), Wang Lin 0–2
* Wang Shixian 0–3
* Wang Xin (badminton), Wang Xin 0–2
* Wang Yihan 1–3
* Xie Xingfang 2–4
* Ye Zhaoying 0–1
* Zhang Ning 3–8
* Zhu Lin (badminton), Zhu Lin 1–2
* Cheng Shao-chieh 1–2
* Tai Tzu-ying 1–1
* Tine Baun 5–3
* Camilla Martin 1–4
* Tracey Hallam 3–0
* Pi Hongyan 3–12
* Juliane Schenk 2–4
* Xu Huaiwen 3–6
* Wang Chen (badminton), Wang Chen 0–1
* Yip Pui Yin 3–6
* Zhou Mi (badminton), Zhou Mi 0–7
* Ragna Ingólfsdóttir 1–0
* Saina Nehwal 2–4
* Maria Kristin Yulianti 0–2
* Eriko Hirose 2–4
* Sayaka Sato 1–0
* Shizuka Uchida 2–0
* Bae Youn-joo 1–4
* Sung Ji-hyun 1–4
* Akvilė Stapušaitytė 1–0
* Mia Audina 2–2
* Wong Mew Choo 2–0
* Jiang Yanmei 1–0
* Carolina Marín 1–1
* Porntip Buranaprasertsuk 0–1
* Ratchanok Intanon 0–3
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yao, Jie
1977 births
Living people
Badminton players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Badminton players at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Badminton players from Wuhan
Chinese female badminton players
Dutch female badminton players
Chinese emigrants to the Netherlands
Naturalised citizens of the Netherlands
European sportspeople of Chinese descent
Olympic badminton players of the Netherlands