An Se-young wins Olympic women's badminton singles gold in Paris

On 5 August 2024, South Korea's An Se-young won the women's singles badminton title at the Paris Olympics, defeating China's He Bingjiao in straight games in the final. She was the world number one going into the tournament and played as the favourite.

The victory ended a 28-year drought for Korea in the event. The last Korean to win Olympic women's singles gold was Bang Soo-hyun at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Badminton is a traditional strength for Korea, but the women's singles title had eluded the country for almost three decades, with China, Spain, and others taking the podium's top spot in between.

An, then 22, had built her reputation through a run of major wins and a consistent record against the sport's leading players, including rivals from China and Japan. The Paris gold confirmed her as the dominant women's singles player of her generation and made her a national sporting hero. It also set the benchmark against which her later results, including at tournaments such as the Korea Open, have been measured.