From June 26 to July 2, 2023, the European Games 2023 took place in Tarnow, Poland.
The five tables are represented by almost 160 European players. A competition eagerly awaited by everyone on the continent, which for some is a stepping stone towards the Paris 2024 games!
We're joined by many of the players who have won medals at the Orléans Masters Badminton since 2018. An emotional competition for our French players, who are reporting the most medals (5) !
Quarter-finals :
Men's singles :
World No.1 Viktor AXELSEN asserts his superiority by qualifying for the semi-finals against Finland's Kalle KOLJONEN in 2 winning sets: 21-10/21-9.
Our Frenchman Toma Junior POPOV, double winner of the 2021 & 2022 Orléans Masters Badminton, will meet the world number 1 in the semi-finals! Qualification against Belgian Julien CARRAGI in 2 sets : 21-16/21-15.
A very tight final set between young Christo and 2019 Orleans Masters Badminton bronze medalist Mark CALJOUW. The Frenchman finished this last set by qualifying for the semi-finals in 2 sets to 1: 21-6/9-21/25-23.
He will meet Israeli Misha ZILBERMAN, present at this 2023 edition of the OMB presented by Victor! ZILBERMAN won 2 sets to 1 against Sweden's Felix BURESTEDT: 17-21/21-14/21-19.
Women’s singles:
We find the Spanish winner of the 2023 OMB presented by Victor, Carolina MARIN, who easily qualified for the semi-finals against Estonian Kristin KUUBA in 2 winning sets: 21-10/21-10.
No semi-finals for Denmark's OMB 2022 bronze medallist, who lost 1 set to 2 to UK representative Kristy GILMOUR: 21-16/11-21/19-21.
Switzerland's Jenjira STADELMANN won 2 sets to 1 against Belgium's Lianne TAN: 21-12/7-21/21-19.
We find the Danish player on the second step of the podium of the OMB 2018, first edition under the Super100 sign! Mia BLICHFELDT qualifies for the semi-finals in 2 winning sets against Turkey's Neslihan YIGIT: 21-18/21-8.
Men’s Doubles:
The Danish pair ASTRUP / RASMUSSEN won 2 sets to 0 against the Irish MAGEE / REYNOLDS: 21-16/21-15.
DUNN and HALL, representing the United Kingdom, advance to the semi-finals against Sweden's HANSSON and Z-BEXELL, winning 2 sets: 21-11/21-12.
The French fraternal pair POPOV qualified for the semi-finals 2 sets to 1 against the German pair LAMSFUSS and SEIDEL, winners in men's doubles of the 2018 edition of the OMB (18-21/21-11/17-10).
Our French team will meet our dear English friends LANE and VENDY, regulars at the Orléans Masters and also winners of the 2021 men's doubles! The English pair won 2 sets to 0 against the Dutch JILLE and VAN DER LECQ: 21-15/21-15.
Women’s Doubles :
We meet up again with our Bulgarian regulars on the OMB podium, as the STEOVA sisters advance to the semi-finals in 2 sets against the Spanish AZURMENDI / CORRALES: 21-14/21-14.
France's Margot LAMBERT and Anne TRAN will meet the STEOVA sisters in the semi-finals following their 2-1 win over UK representatives Julie MACPHERSON and Ciara TORRANCE: 21-13/16-21/21-13.
The Dutch pair JILLE and SEINEN (Cheryl SEINEN, a regular at the OMB following her appearance on the 2018 and 2021 podium alongside Selena PIEK) reached the semi-finals 2 sets to 1 against the Estonians MARRAN / RÜÜTEL: 19-21/21-16/21-17.
The German pair Linda EFLER and Isabel LOHAU reached the semi-finals in 2 sets to 1 against Denmark's FRUERGAARD / THYGESEN: 16-21-21/21-16.
Mixed Doubles :
The French pair GICQUEL / DELRUE, mixed doubles champions of the 2019 Orléans Masters Badminton, earn a place in the semi-finals against Serbia's TOMIC and VITMAN: 21-14/21-14.
Marcus ELLIS and Lauren SMITH win in 2 sets over Poland's SMILOWSKI and SWIERCYNSKA: 21-8/21-16.
The dreadful Danish duo CHRISTIANSEN / BOJE, 2021 OMB winners, qualified for the semi-finals in 2 sets to 0 against the German pair LAMSFUSS and LOHAU: 21-14/21-13.
The Dutch TABELING / PIEK won 2 sets to 0 against the Irish MAGEE / RYAN (21-8/21-6), and will meet the Danish pair CHRISTIANSEN / BOJE for a place in the final!
Semi-finals :
Men’s singles:
Unfortunately, it was the end of the road for our double winner, Toma Junior POPOV, as the world n°1 won 2 sets to 0: 21-17/21-18.
His younger brother takes over, winning 2 sets to 0 against the Israeli ZILBERMAN: 21-10/21-14.
Christo on the brink of gold! He'll be up against the world's No. 1, Viktor AXELSEN, for the top spot on the podium! The Danish mastodon makes no secret of the fact that he doesn't like playing against this young Frenchman...
Women’s singles:
To no one's surprise, Carolina Marin showed her superiority with a 2-set win over Kristy GILMOUR, 21-13/21-11.
A duel of OMB champions at the 2023 European Games! Mia BLICHFELDT will meet the 2023 OMB winner presented by Victor in the final, following her qualification in 2 sets: 21-15/21-16.
Men’s Doubles :
It was the end of the road for the two UK representatives, as DUNN and HALL lost 1 set to 2 to the Danes, who now qualify for the final! (13-21/21-16/10-21).
Our Frenchmen didn't perform any better in the men's doubles, as the English pair stopped them in 2 winning sets: 21-15/21-14.
The Danes will now face the English pair LANE and VENDY for the men's double GOLD medal!
Women’s Doubles:
It was the end of the road for our French ladies' double pair... The STEOVA sisters won 2 sets to 1: 17-21/21-14/21-12.
The Dutch pair JILLE / SEINEN won 2 sets to 1 against the Germans EFLER and LOHAU: 21-14/19-21/21-17.
The STEOVA sisters will therefore meet the Dutch pair JILLE / SEINEN for the Ladies' Double Gold Medal...
Mixed Doubles:
Thom GICQUEL and Delphine DELRUE in the final! Victory 2 sets to A over UK representatives ELLIS and SMITH: 21-18/14-21/21-18.
A final against the Dutch, the mythical Danish duo didn't make it past the semi-finals. They were ousted by the Dutch pair TABELING / PIEK in 2 winning sets: 21-14/21-13.
A blue, white and red final...
Finals :
Men’s singles:
After a very good start and some fine comebacks, it took Christo 1 hour and 23 minutes to reach 2nd place on the podium, behind the men's singles winner of these European Games, Viktor AXELSEN: 2 sets to 1: 16-21/21-16/21-11.
Women’s singles:
The Spaniard, currently world n°6, once again showed her talent and experience, dominating her final and winning 21-15-21-14 against Denmark's Mia BLICHFELDT.
Men’s Doubles:
Disillusionment for the English pair, winners of the OMB 2021, LANE AND VENDY finished on the second step of the podium behind Denmark's ASTRUP and RASMISSEN, who won the European Games final 2 sets to 1: 21-15/19-21/21-19.
Women’s Doubles:
An expeditious first set and a meaty second, the STEOVA sisters, as usual, dispatched the match in less than 40 minutes. The Dutch thus finish on the second step of the podium 0 set to 2 against the powerful Bulgarians: 7-21/17-21.
Mixed Doubles :
Despite winning a second set, the French pair lost and finished second on the podium behind the Dutch pair TABELING / PIEK, who won 2 sets to 1: 21-10/13-21/21-13.
We'll be back very soon to relive and follow the players who came to Orléans Masters Badminton during the 2023 edition of the Canadian Open (Super500 tournament), taking place tomorrow in Calgary, Canada.
