Victor Lai of Canada secured the men’s singles bronze medal at the badminton world championships on Saturday for the second consecutive year. In a challenging semifinal match against European champion Alex Lanier of France at the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi, the 21-year-old from Markham, Ont., who was seeded seventh, faced a tough battle and lost 16-21, 21-13, 21-14.

At the world championships, both semifinalists who do not advance to the final are awarded bronze medals. Lai made history last year by clinching Canada’s inaugural medal at a badminton world championships when he defeated 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the quarterfinals in Paris. This year, he continued his impressive performance by defeating Loh in the round of 16 and then overcoming Rasmus Gemke of Denmark in the quarterfinals to secure his second world championship medal.

Over the past year, Lai has made significant strides in the world rankings, climbing from 50th to seventh position. His consistent performances have solidified his reputation as a rising star in the badminton world.