Josephine Wu prepares to return the birdie alongside her teammateStephen Hosier/COC
Stephen Hosier/COC

Josephine Wu

Biography

Josephine Wu first represented Canada at the 2008 Junior Pan American Championships. Her junior career was highlighted by a bronze medal at the 2012 Junior Pan American Championship. She would make the senior national team in 2016, coming back after tearing her Achilles tendon in December 2014 which required surgery to repair. Just four months post-operation, she competed at the 2015 Canadian Championships. 

While attending the University of Alberta, Wu took part in the 2017 Universiade, making the Round of 32 in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles. Wu made her BWF World Championship debut in 2018, playing women’s doubles with Michelle Tong. Later that year, she formed a mixed doubles partnership with Joshua Hurlburt-Yu. In 2019, they won gold at the Canadian Championships, the Pan American Championships, and the Pan American Games. They successfully defended their Pan Am Championship title in 2021. The next tournament for the pair was Tokyo 2020, where both Wu and Hurlburt-Yu made their Olympic debuts. 

Following the Olympics, Wu formed a new mixed doubles partnership with Ty Lindeman. The two found instant success, taking the gold medal at the Guatemala International Series in September 2021. In 2022, they won gold at the Pan American Championships where Wu also earned silver in women’s doubles with Catherine Choi. The following year, their results flipped as Wu and Choi won the women’s doubles title at the Pan Am Championships while Wu and Lindeman won mixed doubles silver. 

Wu and Lindeman reached their first BWF World Tour event quarterfinal in 2023 at the Super 300 US Open.

A Little More About Josephine

Getting into the Sport: Has been playing badminton since she was seven years old… After her first lesson at badminton camp, she told her dad she wanted to play more… Outside Interests: Plays tennis, squash, and volleyball during the competitive season to keep in shape… Enjoys hiking in the mountains during the off-season… Studying to be an Occupational Therapist… Odds and Ends: Collects magnets and pins from her travels… Considers Rafael Nadal her sporting role model because of his passion on the court and his respect for his opponents on and off the court… Favourite quote: “However great your dedication, you never win anything on your own”…

Olympic Highlights

Games Sport Event Finish
2020 TokyoBadmintonDoubles - MixedT9

Notable International Results

Olympic Games: 2020 - Group Stage (mixed doubles w/ Hurlburt-Yu)

Pan American Games: 2019 - GOLD (mixed doubles)

Commonwealth Games: 2022 - Round of 32 (mixed doubles)     

Universiade: 2017 – Round of 32 (doubles), Round of 32 (mixed doubles), 13th (mixed team)

BWF World Championships: 2023 - Round of 64 doubles), Round of 32 (mixed doubles); 2022 - Round of 32 (doubles); 2019 - Round of 32 (mixed doubles); 2018 – Round of 64 (doubles)

BPA Pan American Championships: 2023 – GOLD (doubles), SIILVER (mixed doubles); 2022 - GOLD (mixed doubles), SILVER (doubles); 2019 – GOLD (mixed doubles), SILVER (doubles}; 2018 – GOLD (mixed doubles), SILVER (doubles); 2017 – GOLD (doubles), Round of 16 (mixed doubles); 2016 – GOLD (doubles), SILVER (mixed doubles)

BWF World Junior Championships: 2012 – 1st round (singles), 1st round (doubles), 2nd round (mixed doubles)