Chloe Magee

Chloe Magee
Personal information
Birth name Chloe Magee
Country  Ireland
Born 29 November 1988
Raphoe, Ireland
Coach Dan Magee
Women's singles
Tournaments played 2008 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
Current ranking 44 (July 2012)

Chloe Magee (born 29 November 1988 in Raphoe, County Donegal)[1] is an Irish professional badminton player. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, she became the first ever Irish woman to win a badminton match at the Olympics. She has been described as "the poster girl for Irish badminton".[2]

Career

2007

In 2007, Magee won the women's doubles title at the Irish International Championships in Lisburn. Competing alongside Huang Bing, the pair beat second seeds Eva Lee and Mesinee Mangkalakiri of the United States 21–15, 9–21, 21–11 in the final.[3]

2008 Summer Olympics

Magee competed for Ireland at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China at the age of 19. She became the first ever Irish woman to win a badminton match at the Olympics,[4] beating Estonian Kati Tolmoff by a score of 18–21, 21–18, 21–19 in the first round of the women's singles. She was eliminated after losing her second round match 12–21, 14–21 to world number eleven Jun Jae-youn of South Korea.[5] "I have loads to improve on and I will take away a lot from this," Magee said after the match.[4]

2009

In 2009, Magee competed at the World Championships in Hyderabad, India, losing in the first round to Japanese number two Ai Goto by a score of 21–13, 21–9.[6]

2012 Summer Olympics

Magee, ranked 44th in the world, qualified for the women's singles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London as the 26 ranked player on the list of participants. She was one of two Irish badminton players at the Games; Scott Evans competed in the men's singles.[7] Magee and her brother Sam, ranked 40th in the world as a pairing, were third reserves for the mixed doubles event.[8]

In July 2012, Magee reached the final of the White Nights pre-Olympic tournament held in Russia. She beat Slovakian Monika Fasungova, 21–17, 20–22, 21–5, in the quarter-finals and Russia's Romina Gabdullina, 21–15, 17–21, 21–15, in the semi-finals but finished runner-up after losing to Poland's Kamila Augustyn, 21–19, 14–21, 14–21, despite having a 10–6 lead in the final set.[9]

A slight schedule change led to Magee starting her 2012 Olympic campaign against Egypt's Hadia Hosny at 20.17 (29 July) and France's Hongyan Pi at 20.32 (30 July).[10]

Bill O'Herlihy sparked controversy while covering Chloe Magee's progress at the 2012 Summer Olympics by suggesting badminton was “a mainly Protestant sport”. RTÉ confirmed it received complaints about O'Herlihy's sectarian remarks on live television. The remarks prompted Magee to inform Highland Radio: "We need to remember what the Olympics is all about. I don't think it is any different from any other sport. There are people here from all over the world and from many different religions."[11]

She lost 16-21, 21-18, 21-14, to Hongyan Pi and exited the 2012 Summer Olympics.[12]

In December 2012, Magee reached the final of the Turkish Open.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Chloe Magee". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  2. ↑ Foley, Cliona (28 July 2012). "Badminton: Second bite at cherry to taste sweeter for driven Magee". Irish Independent (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "Magee and Bing clinch Irish title". BBC Sport (BBC). 9 December 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Donegal Olympian's exit 2008 Beijing games". Donegal Democrat. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "Chambers through but Magee loses". BBC Sport (BBC). 10 August 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "Magee out after defeat in India". BBC Sport (BBC). 10 August 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Naughton, Lindie (16 June 2012). "Badminton aces Magee and Evans set for Olympics". Evening Herald (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Magee qualifies for singles badminton at London Games". RTÉ Sport (RTÉ). 4 May 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  9. ↑ "Chloe Magee beaten in final at Russian tournament". BBC Sport (BBC). 8 July 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  10. ↑ "Ireland's Chloe Magee will have to wait for opening badminton contest". Irish Independent (Independent News & Media). 27 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  11. ↑ Maguire, Stephen (31 July 2012). "Magee bats off O'Herlihy 'Protestant' comment". The Irish Times (Irish Times Trust). Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  12. ↑ "Olympics badminton: Ireland's Chloe Magee out of singles". BBC Sport (BBC). 31 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  13. ↑ "Chloe Magee progresses to the Turkish Open final". RTÉ Sport (RTÉ). 21 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.