Overview
- France captured two maiden World Championship golds on Sunday in New Delhi when Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue won mixed doubles 22-20, 19-21, 21-15 and Alex Lanier beat Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 to take men’s singles.
- Gicquel and Delrue stunned top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping with tactical net play and a decisive third-game run, while Lanier used pace and endurance to dominate the men’s final in about 50 minutes.
- South Korea’s An Se-young reclaimed the women’s singles crown with a 21-17, 21-14 win over Akane Yamaguchi, and other finals produced titles for Korean and Chinese pairs in doubles events.
- Coaches and officials credited the French results to a deliberate federation program that emphasized individual coaches, training at INSEP, sports science, mental preparation and selective tournament planning under coaches such as Kęstutis Navickas.
- The wins rewrite France’s record at the Worlds, moving the country from occasional bronze finishes to top medals and creating the potential for slower, steady growth in domestic interest, funding and grassroots participation rather than instant mass fame.