This photo just got me.. feels befitting to his grand exit. Farewell Legend, GOAT... until the end of the world!
End of an era. Even though we all sensed this coming for a while, I would have loved watch him walk off a badminton court. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah I thought it would have been that way. At least to have watched him in Thomas Cup once more (in May originally).
Precisely, he has won everything in badminton, all major & prestigious titles. Waiting one year longer amid the uncertainty whether Tokyo 2020 would go ahead or cancelled next year, LD has made tough and difficult decision to end his illustrious career. ===================================== https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/ba...-who-drove-me-to-great-heights-says-chong-wei “You are truly the king in the battles we fought,” Chong Wei, a three-time Olympic silver medallist, told his rival, who he credited for his own rise to dizzying heights. “Lin Dan was always in my head when I got back to training after every defeat. I knew if I wanted to win important tournaments, I had to beat him. I couldn’t relax. “Even when I was cramping up, I told my coach I wanted to continue training because Lin Dan was waiting for me. I was thinking about him all the time.” Former Danish great Peter-Gade Christensen, who with Lin Dan, Chong Wei and Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat formed the Four Kings of badminton, also paid tribute to the Chinese, saying it was a privilege to have battled him on so many occasions. “I am truly honoured to have played with him so many times. He’s the last in our group to retire,” said Christensen. Christensen, also a former world No. 1, and Taufik retired in 2012. “Lin Dan is probably the best player of all time, in the new era at least. He has been an amazing athlete and a good ambassador for our sport. We are lucky to have him in the sport.” ______
Hmm...I'm wishing that CBA would seriously consider engaging (provided they're able to somehow persuade Lin Dan) to spend the next few months helping to coach the CHN national women's singles players since he's already taken leave to spend quality time with his family and probably has nothing much to do for the time being. That'll be priceless for the lucky girls to learn a thing or two first-hand from the legendary maestro, the experience unforgettable, I'm sure.
https://sports.sina.com.cn/others/badmin/2020-07-04/doc-iirczymm0499239.shtml [just the pictures, his story is too well-known to bear repeating ( sounds like an excuse not to translate such a lengthy article)]
What do you think was Lin Dan’s best net performance? Having watched a large majority of his matches I’d say it’s AE2011 final. Even though he lost, the crosscourt and tumbling net shots were so precise. I’ve never seen that level of net play since, not even in the WCs or OGs he won.
The most amazing farewell tribute video to the Greatest of All Time - Prime Super Dan LIN DAN. Video Link below -
How well do you know Lin Dan? What's your score? https://bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2020/07/10/badminton-quiz-lin-dan/
Source https://olympics.bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2020/07/09/lin-dan-an-appreciation/ LIN DAN – AN APPRECIATION THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020 TEXT BY DEV SUKUMAR | BADMINTONPHOTO Few players have the luxury of walking away from their sport without any lacuna in their résumé – so complete are their achievements. Lin Dan was one such. To call him the ‘Greatest Ever’ would be a disservice to many other legends of the sport, not just in men’s singles, but women’s singles and the doubles categories as well, for achievements cannot be compared across eras or categories. But he was without doubt the greatest men’s singles player of the post-2000 period. To watch him in his prime was to see an apex predator in flight, so disconcertingly confident in its abilities. Lin Dan had a swagger to match his genius; his ownership of the court perhaps gave him that edge when confronted with dire situations. This special combination – of supreme self-belief and on-court ability – made him a widely-recognised icon, not just in the badminton world, but beyond. This swagger was there even early in his career. Against the accomplished Peter Gade, for instance, in the All England 2004 final, Lin had the same cockiness that he carried with him later on. But his swagger was based on substance. Lin’s greatness rested on all-round ability, for no opponent in the course of two decades was consistently able to exploit any perceived weakness. As an attacking men’s singles player, his explosiveness was his signature strength; the high vertical take-off gave him a number of options, even from deep within his court – the outright crosscourt or down-the-line smash, the well-placed half-smash, or a variety of sliced shots. His explosiveness also gave him the ability for sharp interceptions that he made his own. Allied to all this was a tight defence which often was spectacular, for when all else failed he dived full-length to retrieve from impossible situations; enough deception to wrong-foot opponents, and wickedly-angled shots under pressure which he sometimes played with his back to the net. All this would have counted for little had he not had the mental strength to back his abilities; it was in his department that he would prove tougher than any of his contemporaries. He was to say later that his early loss in Athens 2004 made him resolve never to let pressure affect him again. It is possible that he was not totally invulnerable, for he was human – the Malaysia Open 2006 final loss to Lee Chong Wei, where he blew seven match points, was a case in point – but what made him extraordinary was how rarely he succumbed at the biggest tournaments. At six World Championships between 2006 and 2013, he suffered but one loss, and in this period also captured two Olympic gold medals. The pressure of playing at home in Beijing 2008 was followed by the pressure of defending his crown in London 2012; on both occasions he emerged unscathed. At some of these events he was severely tested, most prominently by Lee Chong Wei. In the 2011 final he trailed in the third game and was two match points down. A year later came the epic final at the London Olympics, where once again Lee was on the threshold of glory. But Lin’s stubbornness proved impossible for Lee to surmount. Further heartbreak awaited the Malaysian. Lin had all but disappeared from the circuit, playing just one event in the run-up to the World Championships 2013. Momentum and match-fitness seemed to be on Lee’s side, and things looked well for him with a first game win. Lin turned to an aspect of his game that few had given him credit for; he made it a battle of attrition with endless clears, challenging Lee to find a way past him. The Malaysian eventually succumbed to cramps in the third game. Following that success, Lin was again out of the circuit for a while. On his return in 2014, and touching 30, he changed his style, trading his explosiveness for a more thoughtful approach, relying more on placement and courtcraft. Unable to play the World Championships 2014, he defeated both Lee Chong Wei and Chen Long at the Asian Games for his second gold medal. His reliance on craft was the second innings of his career, and it continued to bring him the titles, though not as frequently as before. Among his later successes should count the Japan Open 2015 title, when he masterfully outplayed Viktor Axelsen after trailing 3-11 in the third; his sixth All England title (2016); Malaysia Open titles (2017 and 2019), and a second World Championships silver (2017). His second Malaysia Open title, just over a year ago – he beat players like Chou Tien Chen, Shi Yu Qi and Chen Long – demonstrated that even when he was far from his prime, he was still a force to reckon with. Asked what he thought about a potential successor, he said: “There’s a lot that he has to do to match my achievements.” It is unlikely that his achievements will be matched in the foreseeable future.
My summary thoughts from watching my favourite player Lin Dan from young to old 2004: Winning AE was pretty good, but play wise he wasn’t that impressive yet. Resembled many Chinese players of that era who were attacking players. Movement not very smooth yet. 2005-2006: Transition to an ultra aggressive smash reliant player. I’d say around 50% of his overhead shots were full power smashes. It was amazing to see him pummel 3 full power smashes in a row within a rally. Athletism was incredible. But technically he wasn’t that strong at that time. Typically got tired by the 1st half of the second set in the old scoring system format. So the switch to the rally point system in 2006 was huge for him. 2007-early 2010: Transition to Super Dan. Improved his net skills, fixed some footwork issues. Reduced the frequency of attacks slightly, but efficiency increased. Prime period. Mid 2010-2012: Coaches or himself decided he had to tweak playstyle to conserve his body. Experimented with a more control style of play. It was very obvious because the prime LD would jump smash every high lift while this one often opted to clear it back. Matches became much much closer with LCW. Had to rely on his mental superiority to edge out in the important matches. 2013: Slow and steady Lin Dan. Quite amazing he won WC13 out of nowhere. Thought he won based more on his aura rather than his play though. 2014: MIA for most of the year again. But suddenly made an appearance at the AG and beat both WC finalists LCW and CL to win the individual title. Very impressive. 2015-2016: Concentration started to waver. Unbeatable aura started to disappear. Struggled quite a lot with the Danish players then (Jorgensen and Axelsen). But overall still a decent level of play. A shot at redemption at OG was unfortunately wasted. 2017-early 2018: Last time we saw a well playing Lin Dan. Silver at WC17 was a pretty good achievement. Kept losing to Shi Yuqi at AE, didn’t really understand tbh, his level just dipped in their matches even though he was pretty good prior. Think there were missed opportunities in this period. Mid 2018-2020: S**t Lin Dan. Rally all day with no attacking threat. Went downhill very fast actually considering he was playing very well in AE18. MO19 to me was a fluke, but I guess it was a decent achievement considering his terrible condition then. Played really just to satisfy the terms of his Yonex contract. I had my greatest respect for Lin Dan when he decided to swap to a more energy conserving playstyle in 2010. To me, I thought he still had the physicality to play a very offensive playstyle (just watch HK Open 2011) but it took immense self discipline and self belief to swap playstyle just as LCW was catching up to him.
Back in 2005 he tended to lean behind to hit a normal forehand on his deep forehand side instead of properly getting behind it
2013's WC and 2014's AG were just badass lol Wonder if he had won another WC in 2014 if he had been given another wild card.
https://sports.sina.com.cn/others/badmin/2020-07-29/doc-iivhvpwx8101827.shtml A few days ago, after announcing his retirement from the national team, Lin Dan had expressed his desire to spend more time with his family as well as to seek new ' arenas". Lin Dan (standing) and Xie Xinfang (seated in blue) at the contract signing ceremony for the Shenzhen Lin Dan badminton club Yesterday afternoon (29th July, 2020), Lin Dan and wife Xie Xinfang appeared together at the Shenzhen Bao'an district's government office building to attend the contract signing ceremony for the launch of the Shenzhen Lin Dan Badminton Club in Bao'an district, Guangdong province. Representatives of the Bureau of Cultural, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports of Bao'an District and the Shiyan Street of Bao'an District signed the cooperation agreements with the Shenzhen Lin Dan Club respectively. At the same time, Lin Dan was hired as the Bao'an district people's government consultant. Lin Dan setting up the badminton club in Bao'an district fills up the gap in high-end clubs there and facilitated Bao'an in developing a high-level badminton club , which plans to participate in this year's Chinese Second Level Badminton League and looks to ascend to China Badminton Super League (CBSL) next year. It also aims to one day include the introduction of holding world-class prestigious events such as the Sudirman Cup, the Thomas and Uber Cup and other high-end international competitions as well as the coordination of setting up a training base for the China national badminton team in Bao'an.
https://sports.sina.com.cn/others/badmin/2020-07-24/doc-iivhuipn4880461.shtml (too lengthy to translate, time-consuming and tedious, so I'll just attached the photos and try my best to translate as much as possible without leaving out the key points) Lin Dan: My temper is not good but not towards others Recently, a sponsor of mine sent me a photo of Maradona and Ronaldo walking together on the street, and he asked me," Will this ever happen to you?", I answered," I don't think so" (smiling). Hunan Satellite TV’s new program "Sports Boy" is Lin Dan's first appearance in a variety program post-retirement. "In the past, before my retirement, because there are lots of training and competition,indeed there's no way I can take part in that many variety programs. Previously, I'd participate in just one episode, this time the recording is for an entire season. Furthermore, if I took part in too many then, I'd come under criticism,and if once my sports results dropped, some people would blame me, that's quite normal,complaining ‘now instead of training, he's doing this recording'." Now that he's retired, Lin Dan need not have to worry about such reactions but he insisted taking part in variety programs is emphatically not the main theme in his future life " I will prudently consider what I want to go into. For most of the programs, I still have to see if I like it or not, whether I can accept it; if I dislike it, even if I join in, my form and performance won't be too good." Two months ago, he received an invitation to the variety program "Sports Boy". After hearing what the TV program is about, he didn't hesitate and nodded in assent." A group of youngsters together competing at the scene I'd to see how it turns out." Before selecting the team members, there are three aspects, namely strength, nimbleness and speed that each member has to pit themselves against, some have to pull up an iron as heavy as 100kg, some have to "occupy' a position on a suspended Rubik's cube, not easy. Lin Dan is afraid of heights. Tough he is the highly esteemed 'Super Dan', still there are some fields of activity where he is not good at and even get stage fright." The event which involves competing at high altitude, I think I'm not particularly strong at it." He even made it a point to inquire the staff member about it, whether he as team leader must show up in that event," Although I've been in the national team for many years, there are some events I've never tried before." We look forward to Lin Dan's performance in the " Sports Boy" program. He also envisioned what would happen when the show aired, and cared about how he would look to the outside world,' there's a little bit of fear that it's not going to turn out as well." But he doesn't focus on the editing part of the show, as many artists do, leaving it to his own team. ' My team is very concerned about this and how to make it better. The reason why I come is because this variety show is related to sports. No matter what variety shows are, sports are very real." (to be continued)
More on Lin Dan's Badminton Club: 林丹粉丝交流区 Lin Dan Fans Communication Area YstSspesoterSndansoyrrs euSgrrShamto 1:0i2gddf mPgM · 《林丹羽毛球俱乐部落户宝安》 原文：https://baoanapp.sznews.com/jhxtapi/files/szxw/News/202007/28/34478.html?nid=34478&t=758&share=1&device=ffffffff-95c1-93a3-8e59-4b7c364de43c 7月28日上午9时，深圳市林丹羽毛球俱乐部落户宝安区签约仪式在宝安区委区政府举行。 林丹：“希望深圳市林丹羽毛球俱乐部能为宝安人、深圳人提供舒适、开心、健康的羽毛球运动场所，希望俱乐部每一名队员自觉维护宝安荣誉，热爱宝安，宣传宝安，为宝安发展贡献力量！” 深圳市林丹羽毛球俱乐部以为深圳培养更多优秀的羽毛球人才、打造中国高水准国际化的羽毛球俱乐部为发展目标，将借助林丹在国际羽坛的影响力和号召力，引进羽毛球国际高端赛事，并举办“林丹杯”全国羽毛球赛事，带动深圳体育羽毛球国际化发展。 【Lin Dan’s Badminton Club settled in Baoan,Shenzhen 】 At 9 a.m. on July 28, the signing ceremony of Lin Dan’s Badminton Club to be settled in Baoan, was held at the Baoan District. Lin Dan: "I hope that Lin Dan’s Badminton Club can provide Baoan and Shenzhen people with comfortable environment for playing badminton. I hope that every member of the club will safeguard the honor of Baoan, love Baoan, promote Baoan, and contribute to the development of Baoan! " Lin Dan’s Badminton Club is committed to cultivating more excellent badminton talents in Shenzhen and constructing a high-level international badminton club in China. They will also utilise Lin Dan’s influence in badminton to bring in high-end international badminton events and organise “Lin Dan Cup” in national level in order to promote the sport of badminton in Shenzhen to a higher level. [LIN DAN BADMINTON CLUB] Original: https://baoanapp.sznews.com/jhxtapi/files/szxw/News/202007/28/34478.html?nid=34478&t=758&share=1&device=ffffffff-95c1-93a3-8e59-4b7c364de43c On July 28th at 9 am, the signing ceremony of lin dan badminton club of Shenzhen City was held at bao ' an district committee district government. Lin dan :" hope that lin dan badminton club in shenzhen can provide comfort, happy and healthy badminton stadium for bao 'an and Shenzhen. I hope that every member of the club will consciously defend bao' an honor and love it. Bao ' an, promote bao ' an, contribute to the development of bao ' an!" Shenzhen Lindane Badminton club thinks that shenzhen has cultivates more outstanding badminton talent and create China's high-Standard International Badminton club for development goals, which will use lin dan's influence and appeal in the international badminton. Badminton International High-end tournament and held the "Lin dan Cup" National Badminton event, driving the international development of Shenzhen Sports Badminton. 【Lin Dan’s Badminton Club settled in Baoan,Shenzhen 】 At 9 a.m. on July 28, the signing ceremony of Lin Dan’s Badminton Club to be settled in Baoan, was held at the Baoan District. Lin Dan: "I hope that Lin Dan’s Badminton Club can provide Baoan and Shenzhen people with comfortable environment for playing badminton. I hope that every member of the club will safeguard the honor of Baoan, love Baoan, promote Baoan, and contribute to the development of Baoan! " Lin Dan’s Badminton Club is committed to cultivating more excellent badminton talents in Shenzhen and constructing a high-level international badminton club in China. They will also utilise Lin Dan’s influence in badminton to bring in high-end international badminton events and organise “Lin Dan Cup” in national level in order to promote the sport of badminton in Shenzhen to a higher level.
