Lanier becomes first Frenchman to win singles badminton world title

WEB DESK: Alex Lanier beat Kodai Naraoka 21-11 21-11 to become the first French player to win a singles title in badminton’s World Championships on Sunday.

Lanier took about 50 minutes to clinch victory in the men’s final as he outclassed Japan’s Naraoka, a former finalist.

Earlier in the day, Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue became the first French pair to win a badminton world title after defeating top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China 22-20 19-21 21-15 in the mixed doubles final.

Lanier’s win tops off a year of French dominance, after Christo Popov’s World Tour Finals victory last year, and the French team’s triumph over Denmark to win the continental championships this year.