French Revolution in New Delhi: Historic Dual Finals for Gicquel/Delrue and Lanier at BWF World C’ships
NEW DELHI — French badminton reached a historic high point on semi-finals Saturday at the 2026 BWF World Championships, as mixed doubles pair Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, along with 21-year-old men’s singles star Alex Lanier, secured two spots in the finals.
The victories mark the first time France will be represented in a BWF World Championship final, setting up a gold-medal Sunday in New Delhi.
Mental Resilience Powers Gicquel and Delrue Past Chinese Powerhouses
Mixed doubles duo Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue unlocked their breakthrough moment by defeating China’s Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin in a semi-final.
After dropping the opening game, the French pair mounted an extraordinary comeback. The defining moment came in the deciding set when Gicquel and Delrue reeled off 12 consecutive points, establishing an insurmountable lead. Although the Chinese pair fought back late as the pressure built, the French duo held their nerve to cross the finish line, improving on their bronze-medal performance from the previous edition.
Gicquel highlighted the role of their mental coach in overcoming early setbacks. “Lately we haven’t been good after losing the first game,” Gicquel explained. “We have competed some times where we couldn’t digest the loss of the first game. This time we worked that out with our mental coach. We were so ready to fight… and they felt that.”
Delrue noted the intensity of managing such an unusual scoreline: “We were not ready to lead 12-0 in a semifinal… but we were really focused on the first three shots and we put a lot of pressure on him (Jiang) specially. We wanted to show that nothing will be easy.”
Gicquel and Delrue will face top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping of China in the final as they compete for gold.
Alex Lanier Makes Men’s Singles History
The French momentum continued into the men’s singles draw, where 21-year-old Alex Lanier became the first Frenchman in history to reach a World Championship men’s singles final.
Lanier fought through a grueling 85-minute semi-final clash against Canada’s Victor Lai. After dropping the first game 16-21, Lanier displayed remarkable tactical discipline and mental toughness in the clutch moments, taking the next two games 21-13, 21-14.
Lanier will play for the ultimate prize on Sunday, facing the winner of the second semi-final between 6th seed Chou Tien-chen and 11th seed Kodai Naraoka.
Semi-Finals Summary Results
- Mixed Doubles: Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue (FRA) def. Jiang Zhenbang / Wei Yaxin (CHN) 19-21, 21-13, 21-11 (Gicquel/Delrue advance to Final)
- Men’s Singles: Alex Lanier (FRA) def. Victor Lai (CAN) 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 (Lanier advances to Final)
Final Matchups for Team France
| Event | French Finalists | Opponents |
| Mixed Doubles Final | Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue | Feng Yanze / Huang Dongping (CHN) [1] |
| Men’s Singles Final | Alex Lanier | Chou Tien-chen (TPE) [6] OR Kodai Naraoka (JPN) [11] |
