A doubles specialist, Yao won a number of top tier events on the world circuit in the early 1990s. Her earliest international success came in partnership with
Lai Caiqin with whom she captured women's doubles' titles at the
Japan and
Thailand Opens and the
Badminton World Cup in 1990. In her most successful season, 1992, she paired with
Lin Yanfen to win the
China and
Swedish Opens, the
Badminton World Cup, the
World Badminton Grand Prix, and the prestigious
All-England Championships. Yao and Lin were bronze medalists at the
1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and played doubles for
China's world champion 1992 Uber Cup (women's international) team. In 1993 they won the
French Open women's doubles and were runners-up in defense of their title at the All England Championships. ==Achievements==