Yuan Wemyss (also known as Rita Yuan Gao, Yuan Gao and Rita Pickering; Chinese: 高源; born 14 January 1976) is a former Chinese-born Scottish badminton player who won Scottish National Championships 13 times.
Career Wemyss formerly played at the regional level in China. She temporarily left the sport in 1999 to study English at the Carlisle College. In Carlisle, she met Scottish national badminton coach Dan Travers who supported her playing badminton and representing Scotland. She there received the nickname Rita Yuan Gao.
Wemyss represented the Scottish team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, where she competed in the badminton events, winning a bronze medal as part of the mixed team.
She was four times singles champion, six-times doubles champion and twice mixed doubles champion at the Scottish National Badminton Championships.
As of 2012, Yuan Gao moved to Zurich, Switzerland for part-time study of a master of philosophy in sports studies at the University of Stirling with a coaching role at Swiss Badminton. She also served as a women's ambassador for Badminton World Federation. In 2013, she competed in World Senior Championships. Currently she is acting as Performance and Development Coach of Badminton Scotland.
Family Wemyss comes from Wuhan. Her father was a football coach and her brother was a professional player of Hubei Province. Her mother was a former Army administrator.
Achievements IBF World Grand Prix The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006.
Women's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 2001 Dutch Open Sandra Watt Erica van den Heuvel Nicole van Hooren 4–15, 7–15 Runner-up
IBF International Women's singles Year Tournament Opponent Score Result 2006 Portugal International Anna Rice 21–9 Winner 2005 Miami International Anna Rice 11–3, 11–5 Winner 2005 Peru International Anna Rice 2–11, 11–1, 11–5 Winner 2005 Finnish International Susan Hughes 8–11, 9–11 Runner-up 2005 Portugal International Jeanine Cicognini 7–11, 11–3, 11–8 Winner 2004 Scottish International Jill Pittard 11–4, 3–11, 13–10 Winner 2004 Iceland International Susan Hughes 7–11, 2–11 Runner-up 2004 Norwegian International Petra Overzier 1–11, 6–11 Runner-up 2000 Irish International Elizabeth Cann 9–11, 11–2, 11–5 Winner 2000 New Zealand International Rhona Robertson 3–11, 9–11 Runner-up
Women's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 2005 Portugal International Petya Nedelcheva Kathrin Piotrowski Sandra Marinello 15–8, 11–15, 2–15 Runner-up 2004 Welsh International Petya Nedelcheva Katie Litherland Julie Pike 17–14, 15–0 Winner 2004 Norwegian International Michelle Douglas Liza Parker Suzanne Rayappan 0–15, 15–13, 8–15 Runner-up 2002 Iceland International Kirsteen McEwan Katrin Atladóttir Drifa Hardardóttir 11–3, 11–4 Winner 2002 Scottish International Kirsteen McEwan Nicole Grether Juliane Schenk Walkover Winner 2002 Slovak International Kirsteen McEwan Natalia Gorodnicheva Elena Sukhareva 11–5, 11–5 Winner 2001 Scottish Open Sandra Watt Kirsteen McEwan Susan Hughes 7–4, 7–0, 6–8, 7–0 Winner
Mixed doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 2004 Iceland International Graeme Smith Hayley Connor Peter Jeffrey 7–15, 15–7, 13–15 Runner-up
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