Hwang Sun-ai

1.1. Childhood and Introduction to Badminton

Hwang Sun-ai was born on April 18, 1962, in Shintanjin-eup, Daedeok County, Chungcheongnam-do (now Seokbong-dong, Daedeok District, Daejeon Metropolitan City). During her time at Shintanjin Elementary School, she was fond of playing a traditional Korean stick game called jachigi. Her vigorous play often resulted in broken school windows. In the fourth grade, her homeroom teacher, noticing her energy, suggested she take up badminton, replacing her stick with a racket. This coincided with her school's table tennis team being dissolved and replaced by a badminton team, leading her to transition into badminton. Initially, her father opposed her pursuing sports, going so far as to break her racket. However, Hwang persisted, practicing badminton from early morning hours. She continued to develop her skills in middle school in the Daejeon area. She also benefited from training alongside older, experienced badminton players from the national tobacco company's women's team and the military team, some of whom would later become top coaches in Korea, learning a great deal from their expertise.

1.2. Educational Background

Hwang Sun-ai attended Shintanjin Elementary School and Shintanjin Jungang Middle School. For her high school education, she moved over 124 mile ^{(200 km)} from her home to Masan, South Gyeongsang Province, to join the Sungji Girls' High School badminton team. This school was renowned for its strong badminton program, providing her with an excellent environment to further hone her skills. She later pursued higher education at the Korea National Sport University.

2.1. Early Career and National Team Selection

While attending Sungji Girls' High School, Hwang Sun-ai was selected by the Korea Badminton Association to represent South Korea at the 1978 Asian Games. Although she traveled to Bangkok for the competition, she was unable to participate due to falling ill with a stomach ulcer and requiring hospitalization. This early setback, however, did not deter her resolve to compete at the highest level.

2.2. International Breakthrough and World No. 1 (1981-1982)

The period of 1981 to 1982 marked Hwang Sun-ai's rise to international prominence. In January 1981, she was invited to compete at the inaugural Japan Open. In the final on January 24, she defeated Japan's Atsuko Tokuda with a set score of 2-1, securing South Korea's first international tournament victory since joining the International Badminton Federation (now Badminton World Federation). This triumph earned her invitations to the Swedish Open and the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships. She subsequently won the Swedish Open. Her most notable achievement came at the 1981 All England Open, where she swept four championships. In the women's singles final, she decisively defeated two-time defending champion Lene Køppen of Denmark with scores of 11-1, 11-2, a dominant performance that garnered significant attention. This victory marked South Korea's first All England title.

Following her historic All England win, Hwang was invited to visit the Blue House, the official residence of the Korean president, a testament to her national hero status. In June 1981, the International Badminton Federation officially ranked Hwang Sun-ai as the world No. 1 in women's singles, with a total score of 1104 points as of April 22. Her global recognition was further highlighted when she was featured on the covers of badminton magazines in Japan and the United Kingdom. At the 1981 World Games in Santa Clara, she reached the singles final but earned a silver medal after losing to Zhang Ailing of China. In women's doubles, partnering with Kim Yun-ja, she secured a bronze medal, losing to the English pair Nora Perry and Jane Webster in the semifinals. Her exceptional performance throughout 1981 led to her being jointly awarded the "Athlete of the Year" by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, alongside Park Jong-hak.

The start of the 1982 season proved challenging for Hwang. An ankle injury sustained at the end of the previous season, combined with a bout of flu before the Japan Open, significantly hampered her training for approximately six months. As a result, she was eliminated in the early stages of four major tournaments in early 1982, and only managed a bronze medal in singles at the Japan Open. However, she made a strong comeback at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, where she clinched her first international doubles gold medal alongside her partner Kang Haeng-suk. They defeated fellow Korean players Kim Yun-ja and Yoo Sang-hee in an all-Korean final with scores of 18-13, 7-15, 15-7. She also contributed to the women's team's bronze medal finish at the Games. For her contributions at the Asian Games, Hwang Sun-ai was honored with a Presidential Commendation after the event.

2.3. Struggles with Injury, National Team Return, and Final Achievements (1983-1985)

The period from 1983 to 1984 presented significant difficulties for Hwang Sun-ai due to persistent injuries, including severe back pain, which severely disrupted her training regimen. These challenges led to her temporary exclusion from the Korea national badminton team. During this time, she was limited to participating only in collegiate competitions within South Korea.

In March 1985, Hwang Sun-ai made a determined return to the national team, primarily focusing on doubles play. In June 1985, she achieved a bronze medal in women's doubles at the 1985 IBF World Championships in Calgary, Canada, partnering again with Kang Haeng-suk. They were defeated by the Chinese pair Wu Dixi and Lin Ying in the semifinals. Later that year, she and Kang Haeng-suk secured a gold medal at the India Open, defeating the English pair Gillian Clark and Gillian Gowers with scores of 15-7, 15-9 in the doubles final.

2.4. Retirement

Hwang Sun-ai's career was ultimately cut short by recurring injuries. In March 1986, she suffered an injury at the Scandinavian Open, and subsequently re-aggravated her ankle and waist injuries at the Uber Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, in April 1986. Due to the severity of her injuries, the Korea Badminton Association determined that it would be difficult for her to continue her professional playing career, leading to her departure from the national team. Hwang Sun-ai officially retired from competitive badminton in 1987.

3.1. Singles

3.2. Doubles