Present in the Olympic programme since the 1992 edition, in Barcelona, Badminton is the world’s fastest racket sport. During a professional match, the shuttlecock may reach up to 400 km/h on the court, a speed higher than that of Tennis and Squash balls. Although still not well known in Brazil, the sport becomes more popular each day. At present, 153 countries are members of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Players from more than 50 countries have already competed in the Olympic Games but only ten countries won medals in the six editions that included Badminton: China, South Korea, Indonesia, Denmark, Malaysia, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, India and Russia. Brazil, which until today could not secure a place in the Games, has its debut expected for 2016.

The Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games marked some changes in the Badminton competition. Mixed doubles and third place playoffs were introduced in this edition. At Badminton’s debut, in the Barcelona 1992 Games, the events consisted of only singles and doubles – men’s and women’s –, and both competitors defeated in the semi-finals took bronze. Thus, until today, 33 bronze medals were handed out, compared to 29 gold and silver medals.

The matches – true shows of leaps, turns and stretches – require preparation and concentration. During a match, the player can run up to two kilometres inside the court. And, within 20 seconds, it is estimated the player hits 40 to 50 times the shuttlecock, which only lasts for a few games. There are around two thousand hits per match.

Badminton shuttlecocks may be made of either plastic or feathers – goose or duck. Plastic ones tend to be simpler and are used by beginners. In competition, feather shuttlecocks are preferred – they are considered to be more rigid and last longer. They weigh between 4.74 and 5.5 grams and are made of 16 feathers.

At present, China and Malaysia may be considered the great references of world Badminton. However, the sport originated in England, around 1600, and derives from a game called Battledore and Shuttlecock, in which the aim was to use a racket to hit a shuttlecock as many times as possible without letting it fall to the ground.