Christinna Pedersen (born 12 May 1986) is a Danish badminton player. Known for her smart play, defensive skills, consistency, and cooperation with her partners, she represented Denmark for many years at the highest level of international badminton and became a notable figure in both European and World competitions. Throughout her career, she became one of the few players to achieve world-class status in two different categories simultaneously, reaching a career-high ranking of world number 1 in the mixed doubles and number 2 in the women's doubles. Pedersen officially announced her retirement from international competition in March 2019, leaving behind a legacy as one of Europe's most successful badminton athletes.
Pedersen formed long-standing partnership with Kamilla Rytter Juhl. Together, they achieved historic milestones, the most notable was winning the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which made them the first European pair to reach an Olympic women's doubles final. Their dominance was also evident in Europe, where they secured four consecutive European Championships titles. Additionally, they were regular contenders on the global stage, winning the season ending-finale in 2013 and earning multiple medals at the BWF World Championships, including a silver in 2015 and two bronze medals in 2013 and 2017.
Pedersen's career in the mixed doubles was equally spectacular, primarily through her partnership with Joachim Fischer Nielsen. The duo was a powerhouse on the BWF Superseries circuit, capturing ten titles and winning the World Superseries Finals three times. Their greatest achievement together was winning the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, a feat that solidified Pedersen's reputation as a big-match player. She also claimed two European mixed doubles titles and two bronze medals at the World Championships with Fischer Nielsen in 2009 nad 2014, eventually reaching the pinnacle of the BWF World Rankings as the number one mixed doubles pair in the world.
In recognition of Pedersen impact on badminton, she was honored at the Badminton Europe Gala with induction into the BEC Hall of Fame in 2023, and Badminton Denmark Player of the Year in 2011 with Fischer Nielsen and again in 2013 with Rytter Juhl. Beyond her achievements on the court, Pedersen is also known for her longstanding personal and professional partnership with Rytter Juhl, with whom she publicly came out as a lesbian couple after many years and later married in 2020. Pedersen has transitioned into a performance coach for Badminton England since 2025.
Early life Born on 12 May 1986, in Aalborg, Pedersen lived in her hometown until 2006, where her childhood was deeply connected to the local sports community. She began playing badminton at the age of six, a path she chose because her parents were already active players in the sport. Her early development took place at the Gug Badminton Klub, where she is remembered for having her "badminton upbringing" before moving to Copenhagen to join the national training center. During her teenage years, she achieved significant national recognition by winning the Danish U-15 girls' doubles title in the 2000/2001 season.
Career Junior career Pedersen emerged as a rising star in Danish badminton by dominating the junior circuit before transitioning to senior competition. In 2005, she achieved a major breakthrough by winning the gold medal in the team and mixed doubles and a silver medal in the girls' doubles at the European Junior Championship. Her talent was further recognized at the club level, where she helped her team, Vendsyssel Elite Badminton (VEB), win the promotion play-offs to enter the top-tier Badmintonligaen for the 2005–2006 season. By 2006, her performance on the international stage continued to ascend, as she secured a second-place finish in mixed doubles at the Portugal International. This successful transition was formalized when she officially became a member of the Danish national team in 2006, marking the start of her elite professional career.
From 2008 onwards, Pedersen paired with Joachim Fischer Nielsen in mixed doubles. The pair gained two European mixed doubles titles, won bronze at the 2009 Hyderabad World Championships and at the 2014 World Championships, and came third at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Pedersen and Fischer Nielsen also produced strong results on the BWF Super Series circuit, winning a total of three World Superseries Finals and ten Superseries titles, and reaching a career high World Ranking of number 1.
Viewed by Badminton Denmark as a medal contender for the 2020 Olympics, Pedersen will compete in the mixed doubles with Mathias Christiansen as of the end of the 2016/17 season, after Joachim Fischer Nielsen broke his left ankle at the BWF World Championships 2017 in Glasgow.
In women's doubles, Pedersen has paired with Kamilla Rytter Juhl from 2010 to 2018. Initially, the two athletes also focussed on competing with their respective partners in mixed doubles, however, as of 2015, Juhl has competed exclusively in the women's doubles. The pair won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships, and a bronze medal at the 2013 Guangzhou World Championship and at the 2017 BWF World Championships. Pedersen and Rytter Juhl have won a total of four European women's doubles titles, one World Superseries Final and five Superseries titles, and have a career highest World Ranking of number 2. The pair won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and, in doing so, became the first Europeans to ever compete in an Olympic women's doubles final. This was also her second olympic medal.
Pedersen currently represents Skovshoved in the Danish Badminton League and lives in Copenhagen, where she trains with the national team. Off the badminton court, Pedersen is a qualified maths, history and food technology teacher.
Pedersen announced her retirement in March 2019 together with Rytter Juhl. The duo journey in badminton will continue in the national tournament.
Personal life Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl have been together since 2009. Juhl gave birth to daughter Molly in January 2019.
Pedersen and Rytter Juhl's autobiography, "Det Unikke Makkerskab" (loosely translated: The unique partnership), written with support from journalist Rasmus M. Bech, was released in Denmark in October 2017.
Achievements
Olympic Games Women's doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2016 Riocentro - Pavilion 4, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Kamilla Rytter Juhl Misaki Matsutomo Ayaka Takahashi 21–18, 9–21, 19–21 Silver
Mixed doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2012 Wembley Arena, London, Great Britain Joachim Fischer Nielsen Tontowi Ahmad Liliyana Natsir 21–12, 21–12 Bronze
BWF World Championships Women's doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2013 Tianhe Sports Center, Guangzhou, China Kamilla Rytter Juhl Wang Xiaoli Yu Yang 14–21, 21–14, 15–21 Bronze 2015 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Kamilla Rytter Juhl Tian Qing Zhao Yunlei 25–23, 8–21, 15–21 Silver 2017 Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland Kamilla Rytter Juhl Yuki Fukushima Sayaka Hirota 17–21, 21–19, 14–21 Bronze
Mixed doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2009 Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, India Joachim Fischer Nielsen Nova Widianto Liliyana Natsir 18–21, 21–14, 18–21 Bronze 2014 Ballerup Super Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark Joachim Fischer Nielsen Xu Chen Ma Jin 15–21, 9–21 Bronze
European Championships Women's doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2012 Telenor Arena, Karlskrona, Sweden Kamilla Rytter Juhl Line Damkjær Kruse Marie Røpke 22–20, 13–21, 21–12 Gold 2014 Gymnastics Center, Kazan, Russia Kamilla Rytter Juhl Line Damkjær Kruse Marie Røpke 21–11, 21–11 Gold 2016 Vendéspace, La Roche-sur-Yon, France Kamilla Rytter Juhl Eefje Muskens Selena Piek 21–18, 21–17 Gold 2017 Sydbank Arena, Kolding, Denmark Kamilla Rytter Juhl Gabriela Stoeva Stefani Stoeva 21–11, 15–21, 21–11 Gold
Mixed doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2014 Gymnastics Center, Kazan, Russia Joachim Fischer Nielsen Mads Pieler Kolding Kamilla Rytter Juhl 22–24, 21–13, 21–18 Gold 2016 Vendéspace, La Roche-sur-Yon, France Joachim Fischer Nielsen Niclas Nøhr Sara Thygesen 19–21, 21–13, 21–17 Gold 2017 Sydbank Arena, Kolding, Denmark Joachim Fischer Nielsen Chris Adcock Gabby Adcock 17–21, 21–18, 19–21 Silver 2018 Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marín, Huelva, Spain Mathias Christiansen Chris Adcock Gabby Adcock 18–21, 21–17, 18–21 Silver
European Junior Championships Girls' doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2005 De Maaspoort, Den Bosch, Netherlands Tine Kruse Olga Kozlova Nina Vislova 15–13, 7–15, 16–17 Silver
Mixed doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2005 De Maaspoort, Den Bosch, Netherlands Rasmus Bonde Robert Adcock Jennifer Wallwork 15–8, 15–5 Gold
BWF World Tour The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018, is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100.
Women's doubles Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result 2018 Malaysia Masters Super 500 Kamilla Rytter Juhl Chen Qingchen Jia Yifan 22–20, 21–18 Winner 2018 All England Open Super 1000 Kamilla Rytter Juhl Yuki Fukushima Sayaka Hirota 21–19, 21–18 Winner
Mixed doubles Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result 2018 India Open Super 500 Mathias Christiansen Praveen Jordan Melati Daeva Oktavianti 21–14, 21–15 Winner 2018 Korea Open Super 500 Mathias Christiansen He Jiting Du Yue 18–21, 16–21 Runner-up
BWF Superseries The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011. Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.
Women's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 2012 Malaysia Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Ha Jung-eun Kim Min-jung 21–19, 21–18 Winner 2012 French Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Ma Jin Tang Jinhua 12–21, 21–23 Runner-up 2012 World Superseries Finals Kamilla Rytter Juhl Wang Xiaoli Yu Yang 16–21, 14–21 Runner-up 2013 India Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Miyuki Maeda Satoko Suetsuna 21–12, 21–23, 18–21 Runner-up 2013 Japan Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Ma Jin Tang Jinhua 11–21, 14–21 Runner-up 2013 Denmark Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Bao Yixin Tang Jinhua 16–21, 13–21 Runner-up 2013 World Superseries Finals Kamilla Rytter Juhl Ma Jin Tang Jinhua 21–19, 21–12 Winner 2014 Singapore Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Bao Yixin Tang Jinhua 21–14, 19–21, 15–21 Runner-up 2015 Japan Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Zhao Yunlei Zhong Qianxin 12–21, 16–21 Runner-up 2015 Dubai World Superseries Finals Kamilla Rytter Juhl Luo Ying Luo Yu 21–14, 9–21, 4–14 retired Runner-up 2016 Japan Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Misaki Matsutomo Ayaka Takahashi 19–21, 21–18, 21–12 Winner 2016 Hong Kong Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Huang Dongping Li Yinhui 21–19, 21–10 Winner 2017 All England Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Chang Ye-na Lee So-hee 18–21, 13–21 Runner-up 2017 Singapore Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Misaki Matsutomo Ayaka Takahashi 21–18, 14–21, 21–15 Winner 2017 Australian Open Kamilla Rytter Juhl Misaki Matsutomo Ayaka Takahashi 10–21, 13–21 Runner-up
Mixed doubles