At just 20 years and 77 days old, Alex Lanier has officially made history by becoming the youngest ever men’s singles champion at the European Badminton Championships.
The previous record? Held by Danish legend Peter Gade, who won it in 1998 at the age of 21 years and 132 days. Lanier just took that crown — and did it in style.
In the final match, Lanier faced his fellow Frenchman, Toma Junior Popov, and dominated with a solid 21-17, 21-18 straight-game win. Calm, focused, and confident from start to finish.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done,” said Lanier after the match. “This title didn’t come out of nowhere. I knew I had the tools to win, and I think I handled it well until the end.”
Toma didn’t walk away empty-handed, though. He made a strong comeback in the men’s doubles event, teaming up with his younger brother Christo. The Popov brothers took gold after a thrilling 68-minute match, defeating fellow Frenchmen Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi with scores of 21-12, 18-21, 21-18.
In the women’s singles final, Denmark’s Line Kjaersfeldt claimed her first European title with a confident 21-16, 21-17 victory over Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour.
But the spotlight definitely belonged to Alex Lanier — the young French star who’s now officially a champion and one to watch on the world stage.
Source : BWF
