Leanne Choo (born 5 June 1991) is a badminton player from Australia.[1] She is the reigning Oceania Champion in women's and mixed doubles. She represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics, alongside former women's doubles partner, Renuga Veeran. Choo also competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Leanne Choo
Personal information
Full nameLeanne Nyuk Lian Choo
周玉蓮
CountryAustralia
Born (1991-06-05) 5 June 1991 (age 33)
Ashford, Adelaide, South Australia
ResidenceMelbourne, Victoria
Height1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight55 kg (121 lb)
HandednessLeft
Women's & mixed doubles
Highest ranking22
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  Australia
Oceania Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Papeete Mixed doubles
Gold medal – first place 2015 North Harbour Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 2015 North Harbour Mixed doubles
Gold medal – first place 2012 Ballarat Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 2010 Invercargill Women's doubles
Silver medal – second place 2018 Hamilton Women's doubles
Silver medal – second place 2018 Hamilton Mixed doubles
Silver medal – second place 2012 Ballarat Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Invercargill Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Invercargill Mixed doubles
Oceania Mixed Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Auckland Mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2010 Invercargill Mixed team
Silver medal – second place 2008 Nouméa Mixed team
Oceania Women's Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Hamilton Women's team
Gold medal – first place 2016 Auckland Women's team
Gold medal – first place 2010 Invercargill Women's team
Silver medal – second place 2008 Nouméa Women's team
BWF profile

Personal

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Leanne Choo, nicknamed Choo, was born in Adelaide, South Australia. She attended Glen Osmond Primary School and graduated from Glenunga International High School. In 2010, she enrolled at the University of Adelaide to pursue a degree in architecture and is now pursuing a degree in neuroscience.[2][3]

Choo is a member of the Sturt Badminton Club, the largest badminton club in South Australia.[4]

Career

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Early career – 2012

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Choo started playing badminton when she was eight years old.[2] She rose to prominence as a junior, becoming the first South Australian to win a triple crown at a national event. Due to her ongoing success, she was made a member of the Australian National Team. As a member of the national team, she is based at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, in Melbourne, Victoria.[5]

Choo has represented Australia multiple times including at the 2006, 2007 and 2009 BWF World Junior Championships. She continued representing Australia at a junior level at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney and the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India. Her senior debut was at the 2010 Uber Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She also competed at the 2012 edition in Wuhan, China. Choo has also represented Australia at the World Mixed Team Championships, the Sudirman Cup in 2011 and 2015.[2]

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, Choo began her partnership with Renuga Veeran. The pair almost staged an upset in the quarterfinals against the number one seeds from Singapore, Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari. This was the first international tournament in which Choo and Veeran competed.[3][6] The duo officially formed their partnership soon afterwards.

Choo and Veeran competed at the 2011 BWF World Championships in London where they reached the second round. The pair demolished Steffi Annys and Severine Corvilain of Germany 21–6, 21–9 in the first round before losing to 10th seeds, and eventual bronze medalists of the 2012 Summer Olympics, Valeria Sorokina and Nina Vislova of Russia in three games.[7]

2012 Summer Olympics

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Choo was part of Australia's badminton team contingent at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, her Olympic debut as a 21-year-old.[3][8][9][10] At the end of the Olympic qualifying period, Choo and Veeran were ranked 35th in the world. During the qualifying process, their ranking peaked at 26.[11] At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Choo and Veeran performed well in their round robin matches, thrashing their South African opponents and staying in contention with their Korean and Indonesian opponents, ranked world number three end eight respectively at the time. Unfortunately, they placed third in their pool and could not advance to the quarterfinals.

However, four pairs, including Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii of Indonesia, and Ha Jung Eun and Kim Min Jung of Korea, were disqualified from the competition. The pairings were disqualified for "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" as they were intentionally trying to lose matches in order to secure an easier quarterfinal draw.

Choo and Veeran therefore advanced to the quarterfinals, where they were defeated by Alex Bruce and Michelle Li of Canada. They finished in 5th place, the best result in Australia's history of Olympic badminton.[12][13]

Results from 2012 Summer Olympics

Round Date Opponent Score Result
Group C

Pool Match 1

28 July 2012  Meiliana Jauhari

 Greysia Polii

21–0 21–0 (DSQ)

(11–21 21–19 14–21)

Win
Group C

Pool Match 2

29 July 2012  Michelle Claire Edwards

 Annari Viljoen

21–9 21–7 Win
Group C

Pool Match 2

30 July 2012  Ha Jung Eun

 Kim Min Jung

21–0 21–0 (DSQ)

(7–21 19–21)

Win
Quarterfinals 1 August 2012  Alex Bruce

 Michelle Li

9–21 21–18 18–21 Loss

2014 – present

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In April 2014, Choo formed her partnership with Robin Middleton in mixed doubles. In June 2016, the pair qualified for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. She also competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, in both the women's doubles, with Veeran, and the mixed team.[14]

Achievements

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Oceania Championships

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2010 Stadium Southland,
Invercargill
  Chia Chi Huang 7–21, 8–21   Bronze

Women's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 Eastlink Badminton Stadium,
Hamilton, New Zealand
  Renuga Veeran   Setyana Mapasa
  Gronya Somerville
14–21, 20–22   Silver
2015 X-TRM North Harbour Badminton Centre,
Auckland, New Zealand
  Gronya Somerville   Talia Saunders
  Jennifer Tam
21–14, 21–11   Gold
2012 Ken Kay Badminton Stadium,
Victoria, Australia
  Renuga Veeran   Ann-Louise Slee
  Eugenia Tanaka
21–16, 21–13   Gold
2010 Stadium Southland,
Invercargill, New Zealand
  Kate Wilson-Smith   Leisha Cooper
  Ann-Louise Slee
22–20, 21–11   Gold

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 Eastlink Badminton Stadium,
Hamilton, New Zealand
  Matthew Chau   Sawan Serasinghe
  Setyana Mapasa
19–21, 18–21   Silver
2016 Punaauia University Hall,
Papeete, Tahiti
  Robin Middleton   Anthony Joe
  Joy Lai
21–11, 21–9   Gold
2015 X-TRM North Harbour Badminton Centre,
Auckland, New Zealand
  Robin Middleton   Oliver Leydon-Davis
  Danielle Tahuri
21–12, 21–14   Gold
2012 Ken Kay Badminton Stadium,
Victoria, Australia
  Glenn Warfe   Raymond Tam
  Eugenia Tanaka
17–21, 19–21   Silver
2010 Stadium Southland,
Invercargill, New Zealand
  Chad Whitehead   Henry Tam
  Donna Haliday
17–21, 24–22, 14–21   Bronze

BWF International Challenge/Series

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Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 North Harbour International   Renuga Veeran   Sally Fu
  Susannah Leydon-Davis
21–6, 21–12   Winner
2017 Yonex / K&D Graphics International   Renuga Veeran   Rachel Honderich
  Kristen Tsai
12–21, 15–21   Runner-up
2017 Jamaica International   Rachel Honderich   Mikaylia Haldane
  Katherine Wynter
21–2, 21–8   Winner
2014 Auckland International   Gronya Somerville   Chang Ching-hui
  Chang Hsin-tien
11–6, 8–11, 10–11, 9–11   Runner-up
2014 Victorian International   Renuga Veeran   Keshya Nurvita Hanadia
  Devi Tika Permatasari
13–21, 11–21   Runner-up
2011 Altona International   Renuga Veeran   Amanda Brown
  Stephanie Cheng
22–20, 21–11   Winner
2010 Altona International   Kate Wilson-Smith   He Tian Tang
  Renuga Veeran
15–21, 15–21   Runner-up
2010 Tahiti International   Kate Wilson-Smith   Nicole Grether
  Charmaine Reid
21–12, 19–21, 21–12   Winner

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2015 Sydney International   Robin Middleton   Phillip Chew
  Jamie Subandhi
21–8, 21–17   Winner
2015 Maribyrnong International   Robin Middleton   Sawan Serasinghe
  Setyana Mapasa
17–21, 21–19, 21–19   Winner
2015 Sri Lanka International   Robin Middleton   Arun Vishnu
  Aparna Balan
21–15, 17–21, 13–21   Runner-up
2011 Brazil International   Glenn Warfe   Halim Ho
  Eva Lee
11–21, 15–21   Runner-up
2011 Altona International   Glenn Warfe   Kevin Dennerly-Minturn
  Stephanie Cheng
22–20, 21–11   Winner
2010 Tahiti International   Glenn Warfe   Ross Smith
  Kate Wilson-Smith
14–21, 21–13, 18–21   Runner-up
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

References

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  1. ^ "Leanne Choo". Olympedia. Retrieved 11 August 2022. Full name: Nyuk Lian "Leanne" Choo
  2. ^ a b c "Badminton Australia: Leanne Choo". Badminton Australia. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "London 2012 – Leanne Choo". London2012.olympics.com.au. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  4. ^ "Elite members". Sturt Badminton Club Inc. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Badminton Australia: Athlete Profiles". Badminton.org.au. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  6. ^ "tournamentsoftware.com – Commonwealth Games 2010 – General". www.tournamentsoftware.com. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  7. ^ "tournamentsoftware.com – Yonex BWF World Championships 2011 – General". www.tournamentsoftware.com. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Australian Olympic badminton team named". Nine MSN. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  9. ^ "Aussies name badminton line-up – ABC Grandstand Sport (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  10. ^ "Bendigo's Warfe named in Olympic squad – Local News – Sport – Badminton". Bendigo Advertiser. Australian Associated Press. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  11. ^ "London 2012 – Renuga Veeran". London2012.olympics.com.au. 20 June 1986. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  12. ^ "2012 London Olympics – Eight badminton players disqualified for trying to lose matches". August 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  13. ^ "Aussies benefit from badminton tanking scandal". ABC News. August 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  14. ^ "Badminton | Athlete Profile: Leanne CHOO - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games". results.gc2018.com. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
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