Who's back
Until qualification officially begins this remains unclear.
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Here are Tokyo's top still-active finishers and their rankings as of early April 2024:
Singles
- 1st: Viktor Axelsen, Denmark (Men's Singles - Gold)
- 2nd: Yu Fei Chen, China (Women's Singles - Gold)
- 3rd: Tzu Ying Tai, Chinese Taipei (Women's Singles - Silver)
- 3rd: Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Indonesia (Men's Singles - Bronze)
- 12th: P.V. Sindhu, India (Women's Singles - Bronze)
Doubles
- 1st: Chen Qingchen/Yi Fan Jia, China (Women's Doubles, Silver)
- 1st: Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, China (Mixed Doubles - Silver)
- 2nd: Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino, Japan (Mixed Doubles - Bronze)
- 5th: Wooi Yik Soh/Aaron Chia, Malaysia (Men's Doubles - Bronze)
- 5th: So Yeong Kim/Hee Uong Kong, South Korea (Women's Doubles - Bronze)
- 10th: Chi-Lin Wang/Yang Lee, Chinese Taipei (Men's Doubles - Gold)
Who's gone
Chen Long (Men's Singles - China)
Three-time Olympian Chen Long announced his retirement in 2023 at the BWF Sudirman Cup Finals. In Tokyo as the reigning men's singles champion, Chen made it to the finals, where he earned silver after falling to Denmark's Viktor Axelsen. Chen captured gold at the Rio Games in 2016, and also holds a bronze medal from his appearance at the 2012 Games. At his retirement ceremony, two-time world champion Chen shared that his life off the court would be one spent with his family. "I decided to retire from the national team after discussing with my family, because I wasn't able to accompany my son for a long time during my preparations for Tokyo 2020. It was not easy for my wife to take care of the whole family all by herself."
SEE MORE: Rio 2016: Chen Long beats Lee Chong Wei to win men's singles
Wang Yilyu (Mixed Doubles - China)
In what was both his Olympic debut and swan song, Wang partnered with Huang Dongping to capture the gold against another China team in the final. Wang also won two gold medals in mixed doubles at the Sudirman Cup and a gold in men's doubles at the Thomas Cup. After battling a long-term injury, Wang announced his retirement in June 2023.
Li Jun Hui (Men's Doubles - China)
After winning silver in Tokyo, Li announced his retirement just a short three months later at age 26. Li's career highlights include winning the World Championships in 2018 with partner Liu Yu Chen, and helping China capture the Thomas and Sudirman Cups in 2018 and 2019.
Greysia Polii (Women's Doubles - Indonesia)
Defending women's doubles champion Greysia Polii announced her retirement in 2022. Polii and teammate Apriyani Rahayu became the first unseeded women's team to win Olympic gold when they defeated China's Jia Yifan and Chen Qingchen in the final. Their victory gave Indonesia its first gold of the Tokyo Games and the nation's first medal in women's doubles.
New faces to watch
Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand - Men's Singles)
The 22-year-old reigning world champion is expected to challenge Denmark's Viktor Axelsen.
Akane Yamaguchi (Japan - Women's Singles)
The 2021 and 2022 world champion, Akane Yamaguchi is currently ranked No. 13 in the world and expected to make her greatest Olympic run in Paris.
Seo Seung-jae/Chae Yoo-jung (South Korea - Mixed Doubles)
The 2020 Tokyo quarterfinalists, Seo and Chae made an international mark in 2023 when they captured the world championship after ousting No. 1 seed Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong of China. Seo and Chae will look to challenge Zheng and Huang in Paris.
World Championships
2021 BWF World Championships (Huelva, Spain)
Men's Singles
- G: Loh Kean Yew, Singapore
- S: Srikanth Kidambi, India
- B: Lakshya Sen, India
- B: Anders Antonsen, Denmark
Women's Singles
- G: Akane Yamaguchi, Japan
- S: Tai Tzu-ying, Chinese Taipei
- B: He Bingjiao, China
- B: Zhang Yiman, China
Men's Doubles
- G: Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi, Japan
- S: He Jiting/Tan Qiang, China
- B: Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi, Malaysia
- B: Kim Astrup/Anders Rasmussen, Denmark
Women's Doubles
- G: Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan, China
- S: Lee Sohee/Shin Seung-chan, China
- B: Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara, Japan
- B: Kim So-yeong/Kong Hee-yong, South Korea
Mixed Doubles
- G: Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, Thailand
- S: Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino, Japan
- B: Kyohei Yamashita/Naru Shinoya, Japan
- B: Tang Chun Man/tse Ying Suet, Hong Kong
2022 BWF World Championships (Tokyo, Japan)
Men's Singles
- G: Viktor Axelsen, Denmark
- S: Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Thailand
- B: Chou Tien-chen, Chinese Taipei
- B: Zhao Junpeng, China
Women's Singles
- G: Akane Yamaguchi, Japan
- S: Chen Yufei, China
- B: An Se-young, South Korea
- B: Tai Tsz-ying, Chinese Taipei
Men's Doubles
- G: Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, Malaysia
- S: Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan, Indonesia
- B: Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, Indonesia
- B: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, India
Women's Doubles
- G: Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan, China
- S: Kim Soyeong/Kong Hee-yong, South Korea
- B: Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara, Japan
- B: Puttita Supajirakul/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, Thailand
Mixed Doubles
- G: Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, China
- S: Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino, Japan
- B: Wang Yi Lyu/Huang Dongping, China
- B: Mark Lamsfuß/Isabel Lohau, Germany
2023 BWF World Championships (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Men's Singles
- G: Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Thailand
- S: Kodai Naraoka, Japan
- B: Prannoy H.S., India
- B: Anders Antonsen, Denmark
Women's Singles
- G: An Se-young, South Korea
- S: Carolina Marin, Spain
- B: Chen Yufei, China
- B: Akane Yamaguchi, Japan
Men's Doubles
- G: Kang Min-hyuk/Seo Seung-jae, South Korea
- S: Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup, Denmark
- B: Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, Malaysia
- B: Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang, China
Women's Doubles
- G: Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan, China
- S: Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, Indonesia
- B: Zhang Shuxian/Zheng Yu, China
- B: Kim So-yeong/Kong Hee-yong, South Korea
Mixed Doubles
- G: Seo Seung-jae/Chae Yoo-jung, South Korea
- S: Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, China
- B: Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin, China
- B: Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino, Japan