Zhou Mi

Jayce September 6, 2024 0

Character Introduction

Zhou Mi, born in Nanning, Guangxi, China, is a former member of the Chinese national women’s badminton team and later represented Hong Kong in international competitions. She reached the world No. 1 ranking in her career and won a bronze medal in women’s singles at the Athens Olympics.

Zhou Mi started badminton training at the age of 9.5, which was later than most of her peers. However, her exceptional talent quickly became evident, leading to her selection for the Guangxi Provincial Badminton Team and later the Chinese national team.

By the time she was 20, Zhou Mi had already made a name for herself on the international stage. In 1998, she won titles at the Brunei and Dutch Open tournaments. The following year, she reached the semifinals at the prestigious All England Open, won the Korea and China Open, and was runner-up at the Chinese Taipei Open.

In 2000, with the retirement of several top Chinese players, Zhou Mi and fellow rising star Gong Ruina had the opportunity to become the new leaders of the team. Zhou Mi won the national championships and several international titles, including the Netherlands and Denmark Opens. She also claimed the silver medal in women’s singles at the World Championships and the National Games of China, solidifying her place as the world No. 1 for the first time.

In 2002, Zhou Mi continued her success, winning the Japan and Singapore Opens, finishing runner-up at the Indonesia Open, and placing third at the All England and Korea Opens. She also won the Asian Badminton Championships and secured gold in women’s singles at the Busan Asian Games and the Uber Cup. Her world No. 1 ranking was maintained.

In 2003, Zhou Mi earned several more titles, including the All England, Malaysia, and China Opens, as well as runner-up finishes at the Singapore and Denmark Opens. However, she was unable to win a world championship, losing in the semifinals of the World Championships to Gong Ruina.

2004 marked a turning point in Zhou Mi’s career. Plagued by injuries, her performance declined, and she managed only a runner-up finish at the All England Open and semifinal appearances at the Swiss and Japan Opens. Despite this, she remained a key player for the Chinese team, helping them win the Uber Cup and representing China at the Athens Olympics. At the Olympics, Zhou Mi won the bronze medal after being instructed to let Zhang Ning advance to the final to secure the gold for China.

After the Olympics, Zhou Mi’s performance continued to decline due to a knee injury, leading to her retirement at age 26. She then explored coaching and training opportunities in countries like Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore.

In 2006, Zhou Mi decided to return to competitive badminton and joined the Hong Kong Badminton Team under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme. She initially focused on recovering from her injuries before gradually returning to international competitions. By the end of 2007, her world ranking had climbed from outside the top 200 to No. 13.

In 2008, Zhou Mi won several titles, including the Korea, India, China Masters, Macau, and New Zealand Opens. She also reached the finals of the Singapore Open, Denmark Super Series, and Japan Super Series. On October 30, 2008, Zhou Mi reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking, becoming the first player from Hong Kong to achieve this, breaking the Chinese national team’s 858-day monopoly on the top spot.

Despite her success in international tournaments, Zhou Mi was unable to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics due to eligibility issues, as she had not yet lived and worked in Hong Kong for the required seven years.

In 2009, Zhou Mi continued to perform well, winning the Singapore Open and finishing as the runner-up at the Malaysia Super Series. She also reached the semifinals or quarterfinals of other major tournaments, including the Korea Super Series, Swiss Super Series, and All England Open.

In June 2010, Zhou Mi was banned for two years due to a suspension, leading to her official retirement from the Badminton World Federation on March 1, 2014.