FACTOIDS
Full Name: Gail Emms
Nickname: Gail
Birthday: July 23, 1977
Height: 5’3”
Hometown: Hitchin, Hertfordshire
Sports: Badminton
Profile
Gail Emms ins current World Number 1 in mixed doubles. Gail and her partner Nathan Robertson won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in a thrilling final. Gail's sights are now firmly set on Beijing 2008 when she aims to win the Gold that they were so close to winning in Athens.
Gail started playing Badminton at the age of 3 when her parents gave her a cut down racket and threw shuttles to her. She has been playing professionally for 5 years and made her debut for England in 1995.
Gail has won 5 national titles in mixed doubles and 4 in women’s doubles and last year she won the All England Championship and the China Open in the mixed doubles with Nathan.
Her silver medal in Athens was the peak of her most successful season ever where she and Nathan were already European Champions and unbeaten in the Sudirman Cup (World Mixed Team Championships). The marathon 93 minute match finished 15-1, 12-15, 15-12 after Gail and Nathan lead 11-8 in the deciding game, but their Silver medal is still Great Britain’s highest ever result in badminton. Following the Olympic Games, Gail had an excellent year in 2005 and in 2006 she won Gold at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in the mixed doubles.
