Ayaka Takahashi

Ayaka Takahashi
Takahashi at the 2013 French Super Series
Personal information
CountryJapan
Born (1990-04-19) 19 April 1990 (age 34)
Kashihara, Nara, Japan
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Spouse
​
(m. 2020)​
Retired31 August 2020[1]
HandednessRight
Women's doubles
Highest ranking1 (with Misaki Matsutomo, 20 October 2014)
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Women's doubles
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Glasgow Women's doubles
Sudirman Cup
Silver medal – second place 2015 Donggguan Mixed team
Silver medal – second place 2019 Nanning Mixed team
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Gold Coast Mixed team
Uber Cup
Gold medal – first place 2018 Bangkok Women's team
Silver medal – second place 2014 New Delhi Women's team
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Wuhan Women's team
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Kunshan Women's team
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Jakarta–Palembang Women's team
Silver medal – second place 2014 Incheon Women's doubles
Silver medal – second place 2018 Jakarta–Palembang Women's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Incheon Women's team
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Wuhan Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 2017 Wuhan Women's doubles
Silver medal – second place 2018 Wuhan Women's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Wuhan Women's doubles
Asia Mixed Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Ho Chi Minh Mixed team
Asia Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Alor Setar Women's team
Silver medal – second place 2016 Hyderabad Women's team
BWF profile

Ayaka Takahashi (高橋 礼華, Takahashi Ayaka, born 19 April 1990) is a retired Japanese badminton player who was affiliated with Unisys badminton team. She is an Olympic Games gold medalist, two-time Asian Champion, two-time Asian Games silver medalist, and World Championship bronze medalist.[2]

Playing for the Unisys team with her regular partner Misaki Matsutomo in the women's doubles, she won five National Championships titles.[3] In the international event, Takahashi and Matsutomo were ranked world number ones in October 2014.[4] They won numerous international titles, including the year-end tournament finals in 2014 and 2018; the historical All England Open in 2016; the Olympic Games in 2016; and also the Asian Championships in 2016 and 2017.[2][5] The duo won the Badminton World Federation's Female Player of the Year award in 2016.[6]

Takahashi was also a member of the victorious Japanese team at the 2017 Asia Mixed Team Championships and of the victorious women's team at the 2018 Asia Team Championships, 2018 Asian Games, and the 2018 Uber Cup.[5][7]

  1. ^ "日本ユニシス実業団バドミントン部 髙橋礼華選手の現役引退、松友美佐紀選手の現役続行のお知らせ" (PDF). www.unisys.co.jp (in Japanese). 19 August 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b "選手・スタッフ紹介: 高橋 礼華 Ayaka Takahashi". www.unisys.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  3. ^ "「平成28年度第70回全日本総合バドミントン選手権大会」 女子ダブルス高橋礼華・松友美佐紀組 優勝！". www.unisys.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  4. ^ "日本代表ナショナルチーム女子ダブルス高橋＆松友ペア 日本勢初の快挙、世界ランキング1位に！！". www.yonex.co.jp (in Japanese). 31 October 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b Sukumar, Dev (26 August 2020). "Genius in Action: Ayaka Takahashi". bwfbadminton.com. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Lee, Matsutomo/Takahashi Win Best Player Awards". bwfbadminton.com. Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  7. ^ "髙橋礼華 Ayaka Takahashi". s-rights.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 September 2020.