Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox badminton player
Gail Elizabeth Emms MBE (born 23 July 1977) is a retired English badminton player who has achieved international success in doubles tournaments. A badminton player since the age of four, Emms was first chosen to represent England in 1995 and regularly played for her country until her retirement from professional sport in 2008.
Her best results were winning gold at the 2006 World Championships in Madrid, 2004 European Championships in Geneva, and a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games, partnering Nathan Robertson in the mixed doubles. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester she won a bronze medal with Joanne Goode in the women's doubles and won gold as part of the England team in the mixed team event. In the English National Championships she won the mixed doubles three times and the women's doubles twice.
Early life and careerEdit
Emms attended the Dame Alice Harpur School in Bedford, a private girls' school. She and Nathan Robertson reached the semi-finals of 1994 World Junior Championships held in Kuala Lumpur.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1998 she graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science from Kingston University.<ref>Kingston University alumni profiles</ref> After graduating Emms became a full-time professional badminton player with the help of national lottery funded grants paid to her by UK Sport.<ref>Daily Telegraph, 5 February 2017 a hobby sport</ref> Her father owned a building firm that collapsed in the recession of the late 1980s leading to a sudden decline in the family standard of living. Her mother, Janice Emms (née Barton), played for the unofficial England women's national football team. Her parents divorced while Emms was in her early teens.<ref>Women's Sport Trust Gail Emms</ref>
2004 Athens Summer OlympicsEdit
Emms competed in badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in women's doubles with partner Donna Kellogg. They defeated Koon Wai Chee and Li Wing Mui of Hong Kong in the first round but were defeated by Zhao Tingting and Wei Yili of China in the second round.
She also competed in mixed doubles with Robertson. They had a bye in the first round and defeated Björn Siegemund and Nicol Pitro of Germany in the second. In the quarterfinals, Emms and Robertson beat Chen Qiqiu and Zhao Tingting of China 15–8, 17–15 to advance to the semifinals. There, they beat Jonas Rasmussen and Rikke Olsen of Denmark 15–6, 15–12. In the final, they lost to the Chinese pair Zhang Jun and Gao Ling 1–15, 15–12, 12–15 to finish with the silver medal.
2006 Commonwealth GamesEdit
The 2006 Commonwealth Games brought Emms a silver in the team event, a bronze in the women's doubles (with Donna Kellogg) and a gold in the mixed doubles (with Nathan Robertson). An additional gold together with Robertson followed at the 2006 IBF World Championships.
2008 Beijing Summer OlympicsEdit
Emms participated in the women's doubles with partner Donna Kellogg only to be knocked out in the first round by the Chinese pair Wei Yili and Zhang Yawen. Emms then went on to win her first match in the mixed doubles with Nathan Robertson against the Chinese world number 2 pair. Emms and Robertson won the first game 21–16 before Gao Ling and her new partner Zheng Bo hit back to win the second 21–16. The British duo found themselves 12–17 down in the decider only to recover to win 21–19. Emms and Robertson lost out on a medal at the quarter final stage against the world number 10 pair and eventual gold medalist Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung of South Korea.
Emms retired after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Later careerEdit
After 2008 Emms started a portfolio career and has engaged in badminton coaching, motivational speaking, media activities, TV commentary and product endorsements. The latter includes work for SKODA cars and Adidas. Emms has worked as a TV presenter and commentator for the BBC, Sky and BT Sport.<ref>D&D promotional website</ref> She has delivered talks on performance, teamwork and gender issues at events held by many prominent clients including the Ashridge Business School, Sainsbury's and the Thames Valley Police.
In 2013 she was appointed to the Badminton England coaching staff with a remit to develop young female prospects and mixed doubles pairs.<ref>Daily Telegraph 22 October 2013, 'Sport in Brief'</ref> But loss of financial support for badminton from UK Sport in 2017 resulted in cutbacks to the coaching programmes which impacted on Emms' position.<ref>Daily Telegraph, 5 February 2017 a hobby sport</ref> She has subsequently been critical of UK Sport's strategy in allocating funds, suggesting that its emphasis on elite level players and Olympic medal results is inappropriate.
Emms has appeared on the sports-based panel show A Question of Sport and is a regular guest on Fighting Talk. On 6 March 2014, she appeared on Sport Relief's Top Dog with her dog Raffa, a Westie. They won their heat, and went on to win the semi-final against Jenni Falconer on 20 March and the final, where they competed against Sally Gunnell.
Personal lifeEdit
Emms was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours for services to badminton.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
She gave birth to her first child, Harry, in March 2010 and to her second child, Oliver, in May 2013. In 2015 she was living in Milton Keynes with her partner. After retiring as a badminton player in 2008 Emms has periodically suffered from depression.<ref>Daily Mirror 21 March 2015 Olympic hero Gail Emms on depression</ref><ref>The Mixed Zone 2 August 2017 I'm ashamed to admin I'm struggling</ref> She has spoken about the difficulty many professional athletes have in adjusting to life after retiring from their sport while still young.<ref>The Guardian, 10 October 2017 I lost my identity in badminton</ref>
Emms is a passionate supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She participated in the 2017 Great North Run half marathon in order to raise money for SportsAid, finishing in a time of 1 hour and 48 minutes.<ref>The Great Run Company website</ref>
AchievementsEdit
Olympic GamesEdit
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Goudi Olympic Hall, Athens, Greece | Template:Flagicon Nathan Robertson | Template:Flagicon Zhang Jun Template:Flagicon Gao Ling |
1–15, 15–12, 12–15 | File:Silver medal.svg Silver |
World ChampionshipsEdit
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid, Spain | Template:Flagicon Nathan Robertson | Template:Flagicon Anthony Clark Template:Flagicon Donna Kellogg |
21–15, 21–12 | Gold Gold |
Commonwealth GamesEdit
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Bolton Arena, Manchester, England | Template:Flagicon Joanne Goode | Template:Flagicon Ang Li Peng Template:Flagicon Lim Pek Siah |
4–7, 8–6, 6–8, 4–7 | File:Med 3.png Bronze |
| 2006 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia | Template:Flagicon Donna Kellogg | Template:Flagicon Trupti Murgunde Template:Flagicon Saina Nehwal |
21–14, 21–9 | Bronze Bronze |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia | Template:Flagicon Nathan Robertson | Template:Flagicon Daniel Shirley Template:Flagicon Sara Petersen |
21–17, 21–10 | Gold Gold |
European ChampionshipsEdit
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Maaspoort Sports and Events, Den Bosch, Netherlands | Template:Flagicon Donna Kellogg | Template:Flagicon Nicole Grether Template:Flagicon Juliane Schenk |
21–12, 21–10 | Gold Gold |
| 2008 | Messecenter, Herning, Denmark | Template:Flagicon Donna Kellogg | Template:Flagicon Lena Frier Kristiansen Template:Flagicon Kamilla Rytter Juhl |
18–21, 18–21 | Silver Silver |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Baltiska Hallen, Malmö, Sweden | Template:Flagicon Nathan Robertson | Template:Flagicon Jens Eriksen Template:Flagicon Mette Schjoldager |
5–7, 3–7, 1–7 | Silver Silver |
| 2004 | Queue d’Arve Sport Center, Geneva, Switzerland | Template:Flagicon Nathan Robertson | Template:Flagicon Jonas Rasmussen Template:Flagicon Rikke Olsen |
15–3, 8–15, 15–5 | Gold Gold |
| 2008 | Messecenter, Herning, Denmark | Template:Flagicon Nathan Robertson | Template:Flagicon Robert Mateusiak Template:Flagicon Nadieżda Kostiuczyk |
21–14, 10–21, 6–21 | Bronze Bronze |
World University ChampionshipsEdit
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Strasbourg, France | Template:Flagicon Tracey Hallam | Template:Flagicon Chen Li-chin Template:Flagicon Tsai Hui-min |
12–15, 17–15, 11–15 | Bronze Bronze |
| 1998 | Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey | Template:Flagicon Sara Hardaker | Template:Flagicon Chen Li-chin Template:Flagicon Tsai Hui-min |
Bronze Bronze |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Strasbourg, France | Template:Flagicon Richard Doling | Template:Flagicon Kim Young-gil Template:Flagicon Choi Ma-ree |
7–15, 15–12, 7–15 | Silver Silver |
| 1998 | Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey | Template:Flagicon Lee Clapham | Template:Flagicon Liang Yongping Template:Flagicon Liu Lu |
Bronze Bronze |
World Junior ChampionshipsEdit
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Template:Flagicon Nathan Robertson | Template:Flagicon Zhang Wei Template:Flagicon Qiang Hong |
14–17, 5–15 | Bronze Bronze |
European Junior ChampionshipsEdit
Girls' doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Športová hala Olympia, Nitra, Slovakia | Template:Flagicon Ella Miles | Template:Flagicon Natalia Djachkova Template:Flagicon Ella Karachkova |
Bronze Bronze |
BWF SuperseriesEdit
The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> is a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Successful players are invited to the Superseries Finals, which are held at the end of each year.
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Malaysia Open | Template:Flagicon Nathan Robertson | Template:Flagicon Zheng Bo Template:Flagicon Gao Ling |
12–21, 21–14, 15–21 | Template:Silver2 Runner-up |
| 2007 | Denmark Open | Template:Flagicon Nathan Robertson | Template:Flagicon He Hanbin Template:Flagicon Yu Yang |
17–21, 21–19, 17–21 | Template:Silver2 Runner-up |
- Template:Color box BWF Superseries Finals tournament
- Template:Color box BWF Superseries tournament
IBF World Grand PrixEdit
The World Badminton Grand Prix has been sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation from 1983 to 2006.
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | U.S. Open | Template:Flagicon Joanne Wright | Template:Flagicon Emma Constable Template:Flagicon Suzanne Rayappan |
15–7, 15–1 | Template:Gold1 Winner |
| 2002 | Swiss Open | Template:Flagicon Lotte Jonathans | Template:Flagicon Lee Kyung-won Template:Flagicon Ra Kyung-min |
1–7, 1–7, 1–7 | Template:Silver2 Runner-up |
| 2005 | Korea Open | Template:Flagicon Donna Kellogg | Template:Flagicon Lee Hyo-jung Template:Flagicon Lee Kyung-won |
Walkover | Template:Silver2 Runner-up |
| 2005 | Thessaloniki Grand Prix | Template:Flagicon Donna Kellogg | Template:Flagicon Chor Hooi Yee Template:Flagicon Lim Pek Siah |
17–14, 15–8 | Template:Gold1 Winner |
| 2005 | Denmark Open | Template:Flagicon Donna Kellogg | Template:Flagicon Kumiko Ogura Template:Flagicon Reiko Shiota |
6–15, 9–15 | Template:Silver2 Runner-up |
| 2006 | Denmark Open | Template:Flagicon Donna Kellogg | Template:Flagicon Kamila Augustyn Template:Flagicon Nadieżda Kostiuczyk |
20–22, 10–21 | Template:Silver2 Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
IBF InternationalEdit
Women's doubles
Mixed doubles
Record against selected opponentsEdit
Mixed doubles results with former partner Nathan Robertson against Superseries finalists, World Championships Semi-finalists, and Olympic quarterfinalists.<ref>Tournament results</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Chen Qiqiu & Zhao Tingting 3–4
- Template:Flagicon Zhang Jun & Gao Ling 4–4
- Template:Flagicon Zheng Bo & Gao Ling 0–3
- Template:Flagicon He Hanbin & Yu Yang 2–1
- Template:Flagicon Xie Zhongbo & Zhang Yawen 3–3
- Template:Flagicon Jens Eriksen & Mette Schjoldager 1–2
- Template:Flagicon Joachim Fischer Nielsen & Christinna Pedersen 1–0
- Template:Flagicon Thomas Laybourn & Kamilla Rytter Juhl 4–3
- Template:Flagicon Jonas Rasmussen & Rikke Olsen 4–1
- Template:Flagicon Michael Søgaard & Rikke Olsen 3–1
- Template:Flagicon Simon Archer & Joanne Goode 1–0
- Template:Flagicon Anthony Clark & Donna Kellogg 3–1
- Template:Flagicon Flandy Limpele & Vita Marissa 2–1
- Template:Flagicon Nova Widianto & Vita Marissa 2–3
- Template:Flagicon Nova Widianto & Liliyana Natsir 4–5
- Template:Flagicon Kim Dong-moon & Ra Kyung-min 0–5
- Template:Flagicon Lee Yong-dae & Lee Hyo-jung 1–2
- Template:Flagicon Robert Mateusiak & Nadieżda Zięba 2–1
- Template:Flagicon Fredrik Bergström & Johanna Persson 1–0
- Template:Flagicon Sudket Prapakamol & Saralee Thungthongkam 6–2
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Template:BWFB
- Template:BWFT
- Template:Webarchive
- Template:Olympedia
- Template:Olympics.com profile
- Template:Team GB
- Template:CGF profile
- Template:2006 Commonwealth Games profile
- Template:Official website
Template:Footer World Champions Badminton Doubles Mixed Template:Footer All England Open Championships Badminton Doubles Mixed Template:Footer European Champions Badminton Doubles Women Template:Footer European Champions Badminton Doubles Mixed