Photo: Griff88 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Zhang Nan is, to me, the quiet engine of China's golden badminton era. His mixed doubles work with Zhao Yunlei, crowned by gold in London 2012 and three world titles, showcased net play so sharp it bordered on art. What impresses me most is his versatility: excelling in both men's and mixed doubles is genuinely uncommon at the elite level. After settling for bronze in Rio, he didn't fade but climbed back to a 2017 world title. I value that kind of resilient, craftsman-like consistency far more than flashier reputations, and Zhang earned every bit of his standing.
Overview
Zhang Nan (simplified Chinese: 张楠; traditional Chinese: 張楠; pinyin: Zhāng Nán; born 1 March 1990) is a Chinese former professional badminton player who specializes in both men's and mixed doubles. He found much success in mixed doubles with his former partner Zhao Yunlei. They won gold in 2012 Summer Olympics, 3 golds in BWF World Championships in 2011, 2014 and 2015 and a gold at the 2014 Asian Games.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Zhang Nan
- Name (Japanese)
- 張楠 (バドミントン選手)
- Reading
- 張楠 (ばどみんとん選手)
- Born
- March 1, 1990 (age 36)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Horse
- Origin
- Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 183 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- badminton player / Olympic competitor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2012 Olympic gold medal
- 2016 Olympic bronze medal
- 2017 world champion
- national champion
- Asian champion
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Badminton player — see all → · Olympic competitor — see all → · More people from People's Republic of China →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.