Nantong badminton player climbs to top of world standings

World Number One, Shi Yuqi, who played a pivotal role in Team China's Thomas Cup win, celebrates after his rout of 7th-ranked Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia 21-17, 21-6 in 43 hugely impressive minutes during the tournament final on May 5 in Chengdu, Sichuan province. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

Shi Yuqi, a renowned badminton player from Nantong, Jiangsu province, has climbed to the top of the world rankings, according to the latest men's singles badminton world rankings released by the World Badminton Federation.

Standing 1.84 meters tall with long limbs and surprisingly quick footwork, Shi exhibits power and finesse in his shots, enhancing his ability to exert pressure on opponents, while using deceptive serves or fakes to throw them off balance for a killer smash.

Since 2018, World Number One Shi has won the world championship five times, and next month, the Chinese powerhouse will make a run at the Paris Olympic championship.

In 1990, Zhao Jianhua became the first Nantong badminton player to rank first in the world in men's singles. Over the past 30 years, six badminton players from Nantong have led the world rankings.

Badminton is the city's dominant sport. Since 1984, Nantong's seven world champions have won 36 championships at the Olympics and world championships.