ShuttleSquad - Badminton Podcast

The World Championships are just around the corner, and Thom Gicquel has one clear goal: becoming World Champion. In Episode 62 of the ShuttleSquad Podcast, Thommy, Marvin and Kirsty are joined by French mixed doubles star Thom Gicquel for an honest conversation about the biggest topics in badminton. In this episode, we discuss: - Thom's decision to skip the Thomas Cup and focus on the World C...

In Episode 61, Thommy Fuchs, Marvin Seidel and Kirsty Gilmour answer questions from the Shuttle Squad community. The trio discusses training in extreme summer heat, junior development, common mistakes young players make, and practical advice for recreational players looking to improve their game. A relaxed Q&A episode packed with insights from life on the professional badminton tour.

The whole squad is back together. Thommy Fuchs, Kirsty Gilmour, Marvin Seidel and Christo Popov reunite for a relaxed holiday edition of the Shuttle Squad Podcast after a busy stretch of tournaments across Asia. Recording from Sicily, Lisbon, Slovenia and France, the team discusses how professional badminton players spend their time away from competition, balancing recovery, training and preparati...

Episode 59 of the Shuttle Squad Podcast features Thommy Fuchs, Marvin Seidel, and Christo Popov. The main topic is France's historic run to the Thomas Cup Final. Christo shares his perspective from inside the team, discussing the atmosphere, key moments, and what it meant to achieve the best Thomas Cup result in French badminton history. The episode also covers life on the Asian tournament circuit...

ShuttleSquad goes Thomas & Uber Cup. We had the chance to witness the Team World Championships of Badminton live last week in Horsens, Denmark. During that time we had the chance to record a guest episode with Danish mixed doubles player and World no.7 Mathias Christiansen. We talked about the Thomas Cup on home soil, the expectation that the Danish public had before the tournament and what it...

Did this really happen? France fumble their first group match in the Thomas Cup and lose to Thailand 1-4. After beating Algeria they have their backs against the wall and need to win 4-1 against Indonesia... impossible?! Not for this French team! They somehow pull it off and advance to the quarterfinals of the Thomas Cup in Horsens, Denmark. We had to call in Christo and Toma Junior Popov to discu...

The Shuttlesquad - or should we say Medalsquad - reunites for a quick one between league final matches and training sessions. Christo Popov, Kirsty Gilmour and Marvin Seidel take us through their historic week in Huelva, sharing insights into their winning moments and what it all meant. Make sure to like, comment and subscribe to not miss any news! New episodes every two weeks!#badminton #shuttles...

Another live episode, this time at the European Championships 2026 in Huelva. Kirsty, Christo, Marvin and Thommy come together to discuss a variety of interesting badminton topics: - EC prep - conditions in Huelva - how Marvin is already in the quarterfinal before Kirsty and Christo played a single match - a deep dive into Christo's training and why it will make doubles players angry - how Mar...

Christo reflects on the biggest moment of his career so far — winning the BWF World Tour Finals — and what it really felt like behind the scenes. From surviving a mentally exhausting week of back-to-back battles to dealing with rising expectations in France, he shares how life has changed since that breakthrough. The episode also dives into France’s historic team victory over Denmark, the reality...

Welcome back to ShuttleSquad - The badminton podcast of Kirsty Gilmour, Christo Popov, Marvin Seidel and Thommy Fox is kicking of its third season. We are back talking about the World Tour, tournament lifestyle of pro players and basically all things badminton. The team stays the same. We will record every 2 weeks and also have some interesting guests along the way :) Make sure to check out our Yo...

It’s the season finale of The Shuttle Squad Podcast ! Thommy Fuchs is joined by Kirsty Gilmour , Christo Popov , and Marvin Seidel — in true “hop on, hop off” style — as the squad wraps up another busy year on tour. From email chaos and slippery courts to injuries, team matches, and travel mishaps , the players share their funniest stories and most honest reflections of the season. Kirsty talks ab...

Thommy, Kirsty, and Marvin are back for another wide-ranging chat from the European tour — from towel mix-ups and giveaways to the excitement of the upcoming home tournament in Saarbrücken. Marvin breaks down what makes playing in front of home crowds so special, while Kirsty shares her take on league formats around Europe. The squad dives deep into how the German league might change, why promotio...

Kirsty Gilmour is back on Shuttlesquad! In episode 51, Thommy catches up with her after an eventful few weeks — from winning the Badminton XL League in Jakarta to battling through injuries in Finland. Kirsty shares how the unique 3v3 format works, why doubles players impressed her more than ever, and why the HYLO Open hall remains one of the toughest on tour. They also talk German “efficiency,” sh...

Episode 50! Thommy is joined by Christo Popov and Marvin Seidel for a boys’ club special. Christo reflects on back-to-back semifinals, breaking into the world’s top 10, and the pressure of being the hunted instead of the hunter. Marvin talks about adjusting to mixed doubles, building a new partnership, and finding rhythm at smaller tournaments. The squad also dives deep into the hidden complexity...

In this special episode, Thommy sits down with danish legend Hans-Kristian Vittinghus at the World Championships in Paris. From his early memories of the Bitburger Open to becoming Denmark’s men’s singles coach, HK shares candid reflections on his career highs, the Thomas Cup victory, and the challenges of missing out on the Olympics. They dive into: - The transition from player to coach and how r...

The full squad is back! 🎙️ Christo Popov, Kirsty Gilmour, Marvin Seidel, and Thommy Fuchs dive into the 2025 World Championships, sharing their highs, surprises, and personal experiences. From Kirsty’s close battles in Paris to Christo’s electric winning set that made the arena erupt, the team relives the best moments and the passion of the French fans. They also discuss the rise of Indonesian bad...

In this special episode, recorded during the Badminton World Championships in Paris, Thommy sits down with Greg and Jenny Mairs, the creators of Badminton Insight and (former) professional mixed doubles players from England. They share the story behind their journey — from competing on the World Tour to building one of the most popular badminton content platforms in the world. We hope you enjoy th...

The Badminton World Championships in Paris are over - at least for the Squad. Kirsty lost to Thuy Linh Nguyen in round 2 and Christo was defeated by world number 1 Shi Yuqi in the round of 16. A day after the dramatic match in the Adidas Arena, Thommy and Christo are wrapping up Christo's week. They take you on a journey through his week - from arriving in Paris, through final preparations, first...

Thommy, Kirsty, and Marvin sit down for an honest chat that blends sport and life. Marvin opens up about the loss of his children, how he and his wife are finding support, and what it means to return to training. He also shares why he and Daniel won’t be in Paris for the World Championships this year. Kirsty takes us inside her Worlds taper - perfectly timed sessions, energy management, and what k...

This week, Thommy, Kirsty, and Christo are joined by special guest & former co-host Selena Piek for a heartfelt (and often hilarious) conversation about her retirement from professional badminton. From career highlights to behind-the-scenes tour memories, Selina opens up about the highs, lows, and lessons from over 15 years on court. The crew also chats about life after sport, Olympic dreams,...

An episode planned as a little 20-minute chat between Kirsty and Thommy turned into a full 40min+ one with loads of different interesting topics: - Preparations for the World Championships - especially working on details and the suspicious, guilty feeling of tapering before an important competition. - Kirsty's show debut at the worldfamous Fringe Festival - Badminton dropping out of the Commomweal...

Christo, Kirsty, and Thommy reunite to talk about the highs, lows, and windy chaos of recent tournaments. From the extreme court conditions at the China Open to wild service errors and personal updates, it’s another honest and entertaining deep dive into life on tour. Highlights: Christo’s win over Jonatan Christie (and why it felt more like surviving than playing) Kirsty explains the madness of “...

In episode 41 of ShuttleSquad, Marvin and Thommy are on their own as Kirsty and Christo are both without solid internet connection during the China Open. The boys take their time on recapping the Japan Open, especially the way Christo's semifinal run ended and also discussed the new World Rankings which Thommy did not really have on his list. Key Take-aways: - The french men's singles trio...

For the first time online, all four hosts are present! Kirsty, Christo, Marvin, and Thommy reunite for a full squad episode. From tournament grind to solo travel, revenge matches to odd food adventures – this one has it all. Highlights include: Kirsty’s reflections on traveling solo in Asia Marvin’s Canada recap and tactical lessons Christo joining mid-episode straight from the physio after his Ja...

Join host Thommy and Kirsty as they welcome the second guest in ShuttleSquad history: Mia Blichfeldt for an unfiltered Girls Club session. They talk dropping bad habits, major life changes, the Women’s Badminton Collective, and confront one important topic, that is still too often tabooed: menstrual cycle in elite competition. What You’ll Discover in This Episode: How two Olympians became roommate...