The World’s Fastest Sport Just Got Faster
Remember the names Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Pearly Tan.
How Fast Is Badminton?
The fastest ball ever bowled in cricket is 161 km/h (100 mph).
The fastest serve ever hit in tennis is 263 km/h (163 mph).
The fastest drive ever hit in golf is 349 km/h (217 mph).
The fastest speed ever achieved by an F1 car is 397 km/h (247 mph).
Until July 2023, the fastest smash ever recorded in badminton was 493 km/h (306 mph).
When badminton calls itself the world’s fastest sport, it means it.
And Badminton Got Faster?
493km/h is a ridiculous, incomprehensible, almost biblical number. It seemed unbeatable. It should have been unbeatable.
But not for India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. At Yonex’s Tokyo Factory in Saitama, the 22 year-old doubles starlet clocked 565 km/h.
That’s 351 mph.
As for Pearly Tan, the Malaysian sent down a rocket of her own, coming in at a monstrous 438 km/h (272 mph) to clinch the women’s record.
What Does This Mean?
For a moment, let’s cast aside the fact that Yonex set this world record attempt up as a way to promote its newest Nanoflare rackets. This is a moment that demands the attention of the entire sporting world. Badminton may be a simple, benign garden game to many, and that’s absolutely fine. But let it be known that appearances can be deceiving.
As the quality of equipment and athlete conditioning continue to improve, who knows what comes next?
