At age 37, Gunawan is one of the United States’ oldest Olympians, but he will be making his American debut at the Games after becoming a citizen on Sept. 6, 2011. Twelve years ago, he won a gold medal for his native Indonesia in men’s doubles with partner Candra Wijaya in Sydney. Soon after, he moved to the States, and this summer he will be reunited with partner Howard Bach. The duo made history in 2005 by winning gold at the world championships to become the first U.S. badminton athletes to medal at a world championship or Olympic event. For their efforts, Gunawan and Bach were named the 2005 USOC team of the year. While he was allowed to compete at worlds for the U.S., Gunawan could not participate in the Olympics until becoming a citizen. Their prime has clearly passed - Gunawan and Bach only decided to compete in London since their Olympic spots would have gone to Canadian badminton players if they opted not to attend - but their experience gives the Americans some unprecedented star power at the event. Gunawan and Bach fell in the first round of the 2011 world championships to an unseeded Malaysian pair, but the duo did win gold in a lesser event in Peru in April proving that they still have a chance.
