The 2016 Olympic badminton tournament introduced Hawk-Eye video review technology to the sport at the Olympic level for the first time.
Key Facts
- Dates
- 11–20 August 2016
- Venue
- Riocentro Pavilion 4
- Athletes competing
- 172 athletes
- Events contested
- 5 (MS, MD, WS, WD, XD)
- Shuttlecocks used
- 8,400 shuttlecocks
- Hawk-Eye Olympic debut
- First use in Olympic badminton
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the match-fixing scandal at the 2012 London Olympics, the Badminton World Federation revised competition rules to prevent teams from deliberately losing group matches. The draw format was altered so that second-place pairs faced a redraw rather than a fixed opponent, removing the incentive to lose intentionally.
Badminton at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics ran from 11 to 20 August at Riocentro's fourth pavilion. A total of 172 athletes competed across five events using a combined group-play and knockout format. Hawk-Eye line-call review technology made its Olympic badminton debut, allowing players to challenge officiating decisions via video review.
The revised draw rules reduced incentives for match manipulation, while the integration of Hawk-Eye technology improved officiating accuracy in elite badminton competition. The event consumed approximately 8,400 shuttlecocks, reflecting the sport's high-intensity play across multiple concurrent events over ten days.