# Ra Kyung-min

Ra Kyung-min (Korean: 라경민; Hanja: 羅景民; born 25 November 1976) is a badminton player from South Korea. Ra was a dominating mixed doubles team with her partner Kim Dong-moon from the late 1990s to early 2000s, resulting in a 70–match winning streak and 14 consecutive titles in international tournaments.

## Career

Ra made her debut at the Olympic Games in Atlanta 1996. She played in the women's singles and mixed doubles event. In the singles, she was defeated by Huang Chia-chi of Chinese Taipei in the first round with the score of 6–11, 7–11. In the mixed doubles, she competed with her senior Park Joo-bong, reaching in to the final round and settled for the silver medal after beaten by their compatriot Kim Dong-moon and Gil Young-ah in rubber games, 15–13, 4–15, and 12–15.
Ra made her second appearance at the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000. Competed as the third seed in the women's doubles with Chung Jae-hee, they lost in the semi-final match against Huang Nanyan and Yang Wei of China, and again lost to another Chinese pair in the bronze medal match Gao Ling and Qin Yiyuan. In the mixed doubles, she competed as second seed with Kim Dong-moon, reaching in to the quarter-final round, defeated by Zhang Jun and Gao Ling.
Ra competed for Korea in 2004 Summer Olympics in women's doubles with partner Lee Kyung-won. They had a bye in the first round and defeated Pernille Harder and Mette Schjoldager of Denmark in the second. In the quarterfinals, Ra and Lee beat Mia Audina and Lotte Bruil of the Netherlands 15–5, 15–2. They lost the semifinal to Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen of China 6–15, 4–15, but won the bronze medal match against Wei Yili and Zhao Tingting, also of China, 10–15, 15–9, 15–7. She also competed in mixed doubles with partner Kim Dong-moon. They had a bye in the first round and defeated Chris Bruil and Lotte Bruil of the Netherlands in the second. In the quarterfinals, Ra and Kim lost to Jonas Rasmussen and Rikke Olsen of Denmark 14–17, 8–15.
Ra was inducted into the Badminton Hall of Fame in 2009.

## Record

Ra Kyung-min holds the world record for shortest badminton international match that last for just six minutes defeating Julia Mann of England in women's singles during the 1996 Uber Cup with 11–2, 11–1.

## Personal life

She married her mixed doubles partner Kim on 25 December 2005, and they went to Canada to study. There they had a son named Kim Han-wool in July 2007, and a daughter named Kim Han-bi in 2008. She retired when she got pregnant in February 2007, and made a comeback in September 2009.

## Achievements
### Olympic Games

Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2004 | Goudi Olympic Hall, Athens, Greece | Lee Kyung-won | Wei Yili Zhao Tingting | 10–15, 15–9, 15–7 | Bronze |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1996 | GSU Sports Arena, Atlanta, United States | Park Joo-bong | Kim Dong-moon Gil Young-ah | 15–13, 4–15, 12–15 | Silver |

### World Championships

Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1999 | Brøndby Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark | Chung Jae-hee | Ge Fei Gu Jun | 4–15, 5–15 | Silver |
| 2001 | Palacio de Deportes de San Pablo, Seville, Spain | Lee Kyung-won | Wei Yili Zhang Jiewen | 11–15, 3–15 | Bronze |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1999 | Brøndby Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark | Kim Dong-moon | Simon Archer Joanne Goode | 15–10, 15–13 | Gold |
| 2001 | Palacio de Deportes de San Pablo, Seville, Spain | Kim Dong-moon | Zhang Jun Gao Ling | 10–15, 15–12, 16–17 | Silver |
| 2003 | National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, United Kingdom | Kim Dong-moon | Zhang Jun Gao Ling | 15–7, 15–8 | Gold |

### Asian Games

Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1998 | Thammasat Gymnasium 2, Bangkok, Thailand | Chung Jae-hee | Ge Fei Gu Jun | 11–15, 9–15 | Bronze |
| 2002 | Gangseo Gymnasium, Busan, South Korea | Lee Kyung-won | Gao Ling Huang Sui | 11–8, 11–7 | Gold |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1998 | Thammasat Gymnasium 2, Bangkok, Thailand | Kim Dong-moon | Lee Dong-soo Yim Kyung-jin | 15–6, 15–8 | Gold |
| 2002 | Gangseo Gymnasium, Busan, South Korea | Kim Dong-moon | Khunakorn Sudhisodhi Saralee Thungthongkam | 11–4, 11–0 | Gold |

### Asian Championships

Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1992 | Cheras Indoor Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Zhou Lei | 12–10, 8–11, 5–11 | Bronze |
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1999 | Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Chung Jae-hee | Ge Fei Gu Jun | 8–15, 10–15 | Silver |
| 2003 | Tennis Indoor Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia | Lee Kyung-won | Hwang Yu-mi Lee Hyo-jung | 15–9, 15–7 | Gold |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1998 | Nimibutr Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand | Kim Dong-moon | Sun Jun Ge Fei | 15–7, 15–8 | Gold |
| 1999 | Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Kim Dong-moon | Liu Yong Ge Fei | 15–7, 15–13 | Gold |
| 2001 | PhilSports Arena, Manila, Philippines | Kim Dong-moon | Bambang Suprianto Minarti Timur | 11–15, 15–4, 15–3 | Gold |
| 2004 | Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Kim Dong-moon | Sudket Prapakamol Saralee Thungthongkam | 15–10, 17–16 | Gold |

### Asian Cup

Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1996 | Olympic Gymnasium No. 2, Seoul, South Korea | Park Joo-bong | Kang Kyung-jin Kim Mee-hyang | 15–6, 15–8 | Gold |

### IBF World Grand Prix (56 titles, 9 runners-up)

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006.
Women's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1994 | Singapore Open | Yuliani Sentosa | 12–9, 11–5 | Winner |
| 1995 | Canadian Open | Bang Soo-hyun | 0–11, 7–11 | Runner-up |
| 1995 | Thailand Open | Lim Xiaoqing | 4–11, 0–11 | Runner-up |
| 1996 | Swedish Open | Zhang Ning | 11–6, 2–11, 4–11 | Runner-up |
| 1997 | Swedish Open | Gong Zhichao | 4–11, 4–11 | Runner-up |
| 2001 | U.S. Open | Mette Sørensen | 6–8, 7–4, 7–3, 7–2 | Winner |
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1997 | Hong Kong Open | Chung Jae-hee | Liu Lu Qian Hong | 15–7, 15–12 | Winner |
| 1998 | Swedish Open | Jang Hye-ock | Huang Nanyan Liu Zhong | 15–12, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1998 | All England Open | Jang Hye-ock | Ge Fei Gu Jun | 7–15, 7–15 | Runner-up |
| 1999 | Swedish Open | Chung Jae-hee | Huang Sui Lu Ying | 15–6, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1999 | All England Open | Chung Jae-hee | Huang Sui Lu Ying | 15–6, 15–8 | Winner |
| 1999 | World Grand Prix Finals | Chung Jae-hee | Ge Fei Gu Jun | 2–15, 4–15 | Runner-up |
| 2000 | Korea Open | Chung Jae-hee | Huang Nanyan Yang Wei | 15–6, 8–15, 15–5 | Winner |
| 2000 | Chinese Taipei Open | Chung Jae-hee | Helene Kirkegaard Rikke Olsen | 15–9, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2000 | All England Open | Chung Jae-hee | Ge Fei Gu Jun | 5–15, 3–15 | Runner-up |
| 2001 | Korea Open | Kim Kyeung-ran | Huang Nanyan Yang Wei | 13–15, 10–15 | Runner-up |
| 2001 | Swiss Open | Lee Kyung-won | Helene Kirkegaard Rikke Olsen | 7–3, 8–6, 2–7, 7–4 | Winner |
| 2001 | U.S. Open | Kim Kyeung-ran | Pernille Harder Majken Vange | 7–1, 7–0, 7–3 | Winner |
| 2002 | Swiss Open | Lee Kyung-won | Gail Emms Lotte Jonathans | 7–1, 7–1, 7–1 | Winner |
| 2002 | Japan Open | Lee Kyung-won | Gao Ling Huang Sui | 7–5, 1–7, 7–2, 6–8, 7–1 | Winner |
| 2003 | Korea Open | Lee Kyung-won | Ann-Lou Jørgensen Rikke Olsen | 11–5, 11–5 | Winner |
| 2003 | Dutch Open | Lee Kyung-won | Hwang Yu-mi Lee Hyo-jung | 15–4, 15–9 | Winner |
| 2003 | German Open | Lee Kyung-won | Yang Wei Zhang Jiewen | 15–6, 15–17, 15–8 | Winner |
| 2003 | Chinese Taipei Open | Lee Kyung-won | Hwang Yu-mi Lee Hyo-jung | 15–9, 15–8 | Winner |
| 2004 | Korea Open | Lee Kyung-won | Yang Wei Zhang Jiewen | 8–15, 15–9, 6–15 | Runner-up |
| 2004 | Japan Open | Lee Kyung-won | Wei Yili Zhao Tingting | 15–6, 5–15, 15–1 | Winner |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1995 | Thailand Open | Park Joo-bong | Nikolai Zuyev Marina Yakusheva | 15–1, 15–4 | Winner |
| 1996 | Japan Open | Park Joo-bong | Kim Dong-moon Gil Young-ah | 15–7, 15–1 | Winner |
| 1996 | Korea Open | Park Joo-bong | Simon Archer Julie Bradbury | 15–9, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1996 | Swedish Open | Park Joo-bong | Chen Xingdong Peng Xinyong | 15–4, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1996 | All England Open | Park Joo-bong | Simon Archer Julie Bradbury | 15–10, 15–10 | Winner |
| 1997 | U.S. Open | Kim Dong-moon | Bambang Suprianto Rosalina Riseu | 15–1, 15–3 | Winner |
| 1997 | Hong Kong Open | Kim Dong-moon | Ha Tae-kwon Chung Jae-hee | 15–12, 15–3 | Winner |
| 1997 | China Open | Kim Dong-moon | Liu Yong Ge Fei | 15–10, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1998 | Japan Open | Kim Dong-moon | Jens Eriksen Marlene Thomsen | 15–12, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1998 | Swedish Open | Kim Dong-moon | Chen Gang Tang Yongshu | 15–3, 15–3 | Winner |
| 1998 | All England Open | Kim Dong-moon | Michael Søgaard Rikke Olsen | 15–2, 11–15, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1998 | World Grand Prix Finals | Kim Dong-moon | Simon Archer Joanne Goode | 15–6, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1999 | Korea Open | Kim Dong-moon | Liu Yong Ge Fei | 15–6, 15–8 | Winner |
| 1999 | Swedish Open | Kim Dong-moon | Ha Tae-kwon Chung Jae-hee | 15–1, 15–4 | Winner |
| 1999 | Singapore Open | Kim Dong-moon | Michael Søgaard Rikke Olsen | 15–4, 15–8 | Winner |
| 1999 | World Grand Prix Finals | Kim Dong-moon | Tri Kusharjanto Minarti Timur | 15–5, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2000 | Korea Open | Kim Dong-moon | Tri Kusharjanto Minarti Timur | 15–13, 15–3 | Winner |
| 2000 | All England Open | Kim Dong-moon | Liu Yong Ge Fei | 15–10, 15–2 | Winner |
| 2000 | Swiss Open | Kim Dong-moon | Zhang Jun Gao Ling | 15–8, 15–9 | Winner |
| 2000 | Malaysia Open | Kim Dong-moon | Tri Kusharjanto Minarti Timur | 15–7, 15–8 | Winner |
| 2001 | Korea Open | Kim Dong-moon | Zhang Jun Gao Ling | 15–8, 15–11 | Winner |
| 2001 | Hong Kong Open | Kim Dong-moon | Khunakorn Sudhisodhi Saralee Thungthongkam | 3–7, 7–0, 7–2, 7–2 | Winner |
| 2002 | All England Open | Kim Dong-moon | Jens Eriksen Mette Schjoldager | 7–3, 7–3, 7–0 | Winner |
| 2002 | Swiss Open | Kim Dong-moon | Jonas Rasmussen Jane F. Bramsen | 7–3, 7–5, 1–7, 7–4 | Winner |
| 2002 | Korea Open | Kim Dong-moon | Michael Søgaard Rikke Olsen | 7–1, 7–3, 7–5 | Winner |
| 2002 | Japan Open | Kim Dong-moon | Nova Widianto Vita Marissa | 7–3, 7–2, 7–2 | Winner |
| 2002 | Singapore Open | Kim Dong-moon | Nathan Robertson Gail Emms | 11–2, 13–10 | Winner |
| 2003 | Korea Open | Kim Dong-moon | Kim Yong-hyun Lee Hyo-jung | 11–5, 11–4 | Winner |
| 2003 | Singapore Open | Kim Dong-moon | Zheng Bo Zhang Jiewen | 15–5, 15–9 | Winner |
| 2003 | Indonesia Open | Kim Dong-moon | Zhang Jun Gao Ling | 10–15, 15–11, 15–6 | Winner |
| 2003 | Malaysia Open | Kim Dong-moon | Nathan Robertson Gail Emms | 15–6, 15–5 | Winner |
| 2003 | Dutch Open | Kim Dong-moon | Kim Yong-hyun Lee Hyo-jung | 15–4, 15–2 | Winner |
| 2003 | Denmark Open | Kim Dong-moon | Kim Yong-hyun Lee Hyo-jung | 17–16, 15–10 | Winner |
| 2003 | German Open | Kim Dong-moon | Zhang Jun Gao Ling | 15–12, 11–15, 15–8 | Winner |
| 2003 | Hong Kong Open | Kim Dong-moon | Zhang Jun Gao Ling | 15–7, 15–10 | Winner |
| 2003 | Chinese Taipei Open | Kim Dong-moon | Nova Widianto Vita Marissa | 15–7, 15–5 | Winner |
| 2004 | Swiss Open | Kim Dong-moon | Zhang Jun Gao Ling | 15–2, 15–8 | Winner |
| 2004 | All England Open | Kim Dong-moon | Kim Yong-hyun Lee Hyo-jung | 15–8, 17–15 | Winner |
| 2004 | Korea Open | Kim Dong-moon | Kim Yong-hyun Lee Hyo-jung | 15–5, 15–11 | Winner |

### IBF International (2 titles, 4 runners-up)

Women's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1991 | Hungarian International | Park Soo-yun | 0–11, 4–11 | Runner-up |
| 1992 | Wimbledon Open | Fiona Smith | 2–11, 11–8, 4–11 | Runner-up |
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1991 | Hungarian International | Choi Ma-ree | Kim Shin-young Park Soo-yun | 9–15, 6–15 | Runner-up |
| 1999 | Australian International | Lee Hyo-jung | Chung Jae-hee Yim Kyung-jin | 17–16, 6–15, 15–3 | Winner |
| 2005 | Canadian International | Jun Woul-sik | Ha Jung-eun Oh Seul-ki | 15–5, 15–9 | Winner |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1991 | Hungarian International | Hwang Sun-ho | Kim Young-gil Park Soo-yun | 3–15, 12–15 | Runner-up |