Chen Long
Chen Long () adalah seorang pemain bulu tangkis di nomor tunggal putra yang berasal dari negara China.
Chen Long mejadi sosok pemain tunggal putra remaja yang berhasil pada Kejuaraan Bulutangkis Yunior Dunia BWF baik dinomor tunggal putra remaja maupun di tim, dengan berhasil meraih medali emas. Dia juga berhasil medali emas di Kejuaraan Bulutangkis Yunior Asia 2007
Chen Long berpartisipasi pada Korea Open Super Series di bulan January. dia berhasil masuk ke partai semifinal sebelum dikalahkan oleh pemain tunggal putra asal Denmark Peter Gade, 13–21 21–10 17–21. Seminggu kemudian, pada Malaysia Open, dia kalah pada babak awal dari Boonsak Ponsana asal Thailand.
Dan diajang prestisius, ajang yang sangat bergengsi All England Open dibulan Maret, dia berhasil mematahkan perlawanan dari pemain asal Denmark Jan Jorgensen unggulan kedelapan pada babak yang pertama namun, dia dikalahkan oleh tunggal putra korea Selatan Shon Wan-ho 18–21 21–18 19–21 di babak kedua. Setelah kekalahannya di All England Open Chen Long kembali bangkit di ajang Swiss Open, dimana dia berhasil menjadi juara kedua setelah dikalahkan oleh rekan senegaranya Chen Jin.
Chen Long merupakan salah satu pemain yang dipanggil untuk mengikuti Thomas Cup 2010 di Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Dia hanya diturunkan pada laga pembukaan melawan Peru, hanya memerlukan waktu sebanyak 31 menit untuk mengalahkan lawannya, sebelum digantikan di tim oleh Bao Chunlai di babak yang selanjutnya. Gelar individu Chen Long pada tahun 2010 ia peroleh dari ajang Bitburger Open di Jerman, dimana dia berhasil mengalahkan pemain Denmark Hans-Kristian Vittinghus 21–3 12–21 21–9 di partai final dari ajang GP Gold event tersebut. Penampilan semakin baik ketika dia berhasil menjadi juara kedua setelah dikalahkan oleh Lin Dan pada China Masters dua minggu kemudian, dengan skor 15–21 21–13 14–21 dia kalah dari peraih medali emas di ajang Olimpiade.
Chen memperoleh medali emas keduanya bersama tim China pada Asian Games yang diselenggarakan di Guangzhou, namun dia gagal meraih medali emas di nomor individu. Dua minggu kemudian dia berhasil meraih gelar di China Open Super Series. His passage to the final included a controversial walkover by Lin Dan in the quarter-finals and a hard fought victory over current World champion Chen Jin in the semi-finals. In the final, he squared off against teammate Bao Chunlai, emerging the victor after 75 minutes of play. Chen's attempt at back-to-back Super Series titles came to an end at the hands of former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat in the semi-final of the Hong Kong Open the following week. Chen's strong finish to the year saw his world ranking rise to a career high of 3rd, briefly becoming the top ranked Chinese player.
In the first tournament of the new season, Chen Long was convincingly beaten by world No 1 Lee Chong Wei in the semi-final of the Malaysia Open. It took just 39 minutes for the Malaysian to blow away the upcoming Chinese star with a score of 21–9 21–9. The effects of the demoralising defeat were still evident a week later when Chen lost in the second round of the Korea Open to Japanese player Kenichi Tago. His first individual title of the year came at the Thailand Open, where he beat experienced Korean player Lee Hyun-il in the final.
In August, Chen was eliminated in the first round of the World Championships by unheralded Guatemalan player Kevin Cordón in what was one of the shock results of the tournament. Cordón emerged the victor after clinching the third set 27–25 in a thrilling encounter. Chen sprang back from his shock exit from the World Championships by winning his first China Masters title after defeating his compatriot Chen Jin in the final. A week later, he won his first Japan Open by avenging his Malaysia Open loss to world No 1 Lee Chong Wei in the final. In October, Chen won his third consecutive Super Series tournament with another victory over Lee Chong Wei, this time in the final of the Denmark Open in its first year as a Premier Super Series event.
His highlights of the season were followed by an exit from semi-finals of Hong Kong Open and failure to defend his China Open title after losing to his compatriot, Lin Dan, in the final. He ended year 2011 with another runner-up in Super Series Master Finals, being beaten by Lin Dan again.
In 2012, Chen lost in the pre-quarterfinals of Indonesia Open 2012, to Parupalli Kashyap, 21-17, 21-14.
In the 2012 Summer Olympics, Chen was defeated in the semi-final of the Men's Singles by Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, 21-13, 21-14, but went on to win bronze after defeating Lee Hyun-il in the Bronze medal match.
Chen won convincingly against Lee Chong Wei in the 2013 All England Open in the finals, 21-17, 21-18. Despite missing the last two Sudirman cup editions 2009 and 2011, Chen Long emerged as the first singles player to help China lift her fifth consecutive trophy in 2013 edition.