Article 2. Chen Long. Current No. 1 in the Men's Singles seeding of Badminton World Federation

Chen Long (born January 18, 1989 in Shashi District, Jingzhou, Hubei) is a male badminton player from China. He is a Olympic Bronze medalist, two-time World Champion, and two-time All England champion. As of 17th September 2015, he is ranked No.1 in the world, a ranking he has maintained following his ascension to the top ranking position at the end of 2014.

Chen started the year with a victory against Lee Chong Wei in the Korean Open. Then, he was unable to defend his All England title as he lost to Lee Chong Wei in the finals. He subsequently lost in the Indian Open finals to the same opponent. In May, Chen played first singles for China at the 2014 Thomas Cup. They were unable to defend their title as they lost 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals. Chen Long took the blame for the surprise loss of the Chinese Team, casting into doubt his ability to depose Lin Dan as China's MS 'big brother'. Chen's poor start to the season continued deep into the summer, when he saw early round knockouts in the Japan Open to Hu Yun of Hong Kong and Indonesian Open to Denmark'sJan Ø. Jørgensen. However, his fortune reversed at the most important competition of the year. On August 31, Chen defeated Lee Chong Wei in the finals with a score of 21-19, 21-19 to win his first ever World Championship title at 2014 Copenhagen, breaking his 7-month title drought. He would then continue this excellent form for the rest of the season, defeating Son Wan-ho in the final of the 2014 Denmark Super Series Premier, his 6th Super Series Premier title to date and first of the year. He would also make the finals of the 2014 Hong Kong Super Series. Chen Long ended the season on a high note after winning the 2014 BWF Super Series Masters Finals in Dubai, boasting a 3-0 record in the Group Stage and defeating Hans-Kristian Vittinghus21-16, 21-10 in the final. With this victory, Chen Long ascended to World No.1, dethroning rival Lee Chong Wei and achieving the title of Year End No.1 on the BWF World Ranking. This marked the first time in 6 years that a player other than Lee Chong Wei ended the year at the coveted No.1 ranking. Despite a slow start to the year, Chen's 2014 was characterised by his first ever World Championship, solid victories at the Super Series Masters Finals and Denmark Open, and the first time achieving the rank of World No.1..

Starting the year as World No.1, Chen Long's first tournament of the season was the 2015 All England Super Series Premier, considered the most reputable Super Series Premier title. Defeating compatriot Lin Dan in straight sets (21-13, 21-12) en route to the finals, Chen won his second All England title in 2 years with a 15-21, 21-17, 21-15 over Jan O Jorgensen. Chen continued his winning form in his next tournament, the 2015 Malaysia Super Series Premier, defeating Lin Dan once again, this time with a tighter scoreline of 20-22, 21-13, 21-11. Two consecutive victories over Lin Dan, long considered China's strongest badminton player in the Men's Singles discipline, was considered by many as Chen's resolute ascension to the position of China MS No.1. A second round exit to Hu Yun at the 2015 Singapore Super Series and a semi-final loss to compatriot Tian Houwei by way of walkover put a stop to Chen Long's tournament-winning streak. However, victory over Viktor Axelsen at the 2015 Australian Super Series final with a score of 21-12, 14-21, 21-18 put Chen back in winning shape. This was followed by a quarterfinal exit at the 2015 Indonesia Super Series Premier, a tournament in which Chinese players routinely lose during the early stages. However, Chen would rediscover his form in the 2015 Chinese Taipei Open Grand Prix Gold with a victory over home favourite Chou Tien-chen. He would then defend his World Championship title in the 2015 Jakarta. Chen reached the final of the championships with ease, winning in 2 sets over each of his opponents, including Japanese rising star and then-World No.4 Kento Momota 21-9, 21-15 in the semi-finals. In a rematch of the 2014 final, Chen Long was once again victorious over rival Lee Chong Wei, successfully defending his World Champion title with an easier scoreline of 21-14, 21-17. This marked the second World Championship title for Chen Long, and put him securely in the position of Year End No.1 once again. Chen would follow this up with another Super Series victory at the 2015 Korea Open Super Series, during which he defeated unseeded Ajay Jayaram 21-14, 21-13 in the final. This was Chen's 8th Super Series title, bringing his total SS (including Premier) tally to 16 and year-to-date titles to 7, the most he's achieved in one season.