Atlanta, Georgia State University, 1 August 1996, Games of the XXVI Olympiad: medal ceremony for the badminton women's singles: Susi SUSANTI from Indonesia, bronze medallist. Credit: Getty Images/stu ForsterBorn: 11 February 1971
Birthplace: Tasikmalaya (Indonesia)
Nationality: Indonesia
Sport: Badminton
ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
Barcelona 1992
Atlanta 1996
AWARDS
Olympic medals:
Gold: 1
Bronze: 1
Other results:
World Championships
Gold: 1 (93)
Bronze: 2 (91, 95)
First badminton champion
Indonesians had been competing in the Olympics since 1952, but had never won a gold medal until badminton was added to the Olympic program in 1992. At the Barcelona Games, Susy Susanti qualified easily for the final, outscoring her first four opponents 88-22. However, a determined Bang Soo-hyun of Korea won the first game 11-5. Then Susanti took charge, winning the second game 11-5 and the third game 11-3. Two hours later, her fiancé, Allan Budi Kusuma, won the men's badminton title. When Susanti and Kusuma returned to Indonesia, the celebration in their honour included a two-hour parade through the streets of Jakarta that was led by a car carrying a gigantic shuttlecock. The following year, Susanti faced Bang in the final of the 1993 world championships. Again Bang won the first game, but again Susanti came back to win the next two games. At the next Olympics, in 1996, the two were matched in the semifinals. This time Bang emerged victorious. However Susanti recovered to win the bronze medal match against Korean Kim Ji-hyun 11-4, 11-1. Susanti and Kusuma married in 1997.
