bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

China’s Lin Dan, regarded by some as badminton’s greatest-ever player, batted off retirement talk after leaving the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games empty-handed on Saturday after losing the bronze medal match to Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen.
The double Olympic champion took the first set 21-15 but tired to lose the following two games 21-10, 21-17 in a defeat that likely brought the curtain down on his hallowed Games career.
“I was pretty drained from yesterday’s match,” Lin said, referring to his semi-final defeat to Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia on Friday.
“However in the third game of today’s match I think my opponent got lucky because there were several shots at the net that I didn’t perform very well.”

Lin – a five-time world champion – won gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, beating Lee in both finals but he was unable to repeat those heroics in Brazil.
In the last-four match, Lin won the first game 21-15 but lost the second 21-11 before his dreams of a third consecutive Olympic gold medal were shattered with a 22-20 defeat in the third.
Victory at last: Lee Chong Wei defeats arch-rival Lin Dan in men’s singles badminton semi-final
Saturday’s third-place match loss to Axelsen was almost certainly the last time that Lin, who turns 33 later this year, would grace the Olympic stage.
Rio was Lin’s fourth Olympics and he is expected to have retired by the time Tokyo 2020 comes around as he will be 36 when the next Games start.

But Lin, nicknamed “Super Dan”, insisted he hadn’t been giving retirement much thought and said for now he just needed to recover from Rio before making any decisions.
“I haven’t thought about it that much,” he said, when asked if Rio would be his last Olympics.
“I just focused myself fully on this Olympic Games. After this one I will rest for a while and then make a decision.”

Axelsen paid tribute to Lin, who he watched first-hand in China at the Olympics eight years ago while only a teenager.
“No, I would have thought that maybe he would have retired before I reached this level,” the 22-year-old Dane said when asked if he could ever have imagined beating his badminton hero for a bronze medal.
“But I’m really, really happy that I managed to do this. I’ve been watching Lin since I was a little kid.
“This is so special for me and it’s really hard to describe in words how I feel.”


8,500 tickets for Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park opening show gone in 30 minutes

‘Marathon Man’ Vincent Wong will bring curtain down on memorable 17-year career at badminton World Championships in Tokyo

Young gun Jason Gunawan sets sights on winning Olympic gold for Hong Kong

Tokyo 2020: Olympics delay forces some athletes to bid farewell to career without fulfilling Games dream

Lin Dan

Not so Super: Lin Dan bats off retirement talk after Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen wins Olympic Games badminton bronze

China's Lin Dan reacts after losing a point against Denmark's Viktor Axelsen. Photo: AP

epa05501795 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark celebrates after defeating Dan Lin of China during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Men's Bronze Medal Match at the Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20 August 2016. EPA/ESTEBAN BIBA

China's Lin Dan, left, congratulates Denmark's Viktor Axelsen after Axelsen won the men's badminton singles bronze medal match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

2016 Rio Olympics - Badminton - Men's Singles - Bronze Medal Match - Riocentro - Pavilion 4 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 20/08/2016. Lin Dan (CHN) of China plays against Viktor Axelsen (DEN) of Denmark. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

Lee Chong Wei versus Lin Dan: fierce rivalry, friendship and a compelling Olympic story

Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei celebrate with fans after defeating his great rival in the men’s singles semi-final. Photo: AFP

2016 Rio Olympics - Badminton - Men's Singles - Semifinals - Riocentro - Pavilion 4 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 19/08/2016. Chong Wei Lee (MAS) of Malaysia jumps in the air as he celebrates after winning against Lin Dan (CHN) of China. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

An overview shows China's Lin Dan reacts against Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei during their men's singles semi-final badminton match at the Riocentro stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 19, 2016, for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei won the match. / AFP PHOTO / Antonin THUILLIER

Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei, center, celebrates with coaches after defeating China's Lin Dan in their men's badminton singles semifinal match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei reacts after winning against China's Lin Dan during their men's singles semi-final badminton match at the Riocentro stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 19, 2016, for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei won the match. / AFP PHOTO / GOH Chai Hin

Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei celebrates with fans after defeating his great rival in the men’s singles semi-final. Photo: AFP

Lin Dan’s golden shoes the most exciting thing about China’s ‘boring’ Olympic badminton team – but blame pressure, not players

China’s Lin Dan returns to Austria’s David Obernosterer during their men’s singles clash. Photo: AFP

2016 Rio Olympics - Badminton - Men's Singles Group Play - Riocentro - Pavilion 4 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 11/08/2016. Lin Dan (CHN) of China reaches across the net to David Obernosterer (AUT) of Austria after winning their match. REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

China's Wang Yihan returns to Ireland's Chloe Noelle Magee during their women's singles qualifying badminton match at the Riocentro stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 11, 2016, at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. / AFP PHOTO / GOH Chai Hin

Sport

Other Sport

China

The 22-year-old won 15-21, 21-10, 21-17 to likely bring the curtain down on the double Olympic champion’s hallowed Games career


Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Not so Super: Lin Dan bats off retirement talk after Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen wins Olympic Games badminton bronze

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 22-year-old won 15-21, 21-10, 21-17 to likely bring the curtain down on the double Olympic champion’s hallowed Games career

The 22-year-old won 15-21, 21-10, 21-17 to likely bring the curtain down on the double Olympic champion’s hallowed Games career