Christinna Pedersen

Christinna Pedersen (born 12 May 1986) is a Danish badminton player. Known for her smart play, exceptional defensive skills, consistency, and strong cooperation with her partners, she represented Denmark for many years at the highest level of international badminton and became a dominant figure in both European and World competitions. Throughout her illustrious 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 a formidable and long-standing partnership with Kamilla Rytter Juhl. Together, they achieved historic milestones, most notably 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 titile. 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.