Specifically, we're talking about LCW not being to beat Lin Dan in the final because he was stretched thin by his other CHN opponents as if the two or three CHN opponents could work as a team or colluded against him.
I say, such an argument is putting down LCW and doing him a disservice. How the CHN players could work together as a team against LCW in any one tournament baffles me when the matches are all one-on-one affairs. Can I argue that all the non-CHN players are helping LCW by ganging up against the CHN players, would you buy that? Was it Taufik who hinted something to that effect once? I vaguely remember a couple non-CHN WS players saying they are most happy to beat any of the CHN WS by going all out.
It's a well-known fact and we often hear of remarkable examples of athletes, particularly Olympians who beat the odds, overcome constraints whether it's fatigue or even minor injuries, not to mention physical limitations, to rise above themselves and achieved amazing feats. Are you saying LCW is definitely not one of them, he's too ordinary or weak for it on the one or two occasions where he faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, let alone other instances when the situation was fair or favourable to him ? No wonder LCW was protesting loudly the moment he learnt of Lin Dan's wild card in WC'13.
Consider the following concrete examples to disabuse yourselves:
1) How did LCW at the China Open this year overcome Chen Long and Lin Dan in the penultimate and final rounds? And that at the ripe old age of 33 when some of you believe he couldn't do it at a younger age, conspiracy theory aside?
2) At the WC'13, Lin Dan had to beat none other than Chen Long in the quarters before besting LCW in the final who actually had the spent Du Pengyu in the semis to deal with whom, I repeat, was the only player subject to 4 previous rounds of long, grueling three-setters;
3) At the WC'11, it was Peter Gade whose caliber we are fully aware of that pushed Lin Dan hard in three hard-fought sets in the semis while LCW had an easier time with Nguyen Tien Minh (CMIIW) in the other semi before the clash of the titans that eventually went Lin Dan's way for his 4th WC crown;
4) Even at the London'12 Olympics, both Lin Dan and LCW were not troubled by their respective semifinal opponents, Lee Hyun Il and Chen Long respectively,i.e. neither finalists were disadvantaged in any way (going by the conspiracy theory),yet, again, Lin Dan came out on top for his second Olympic gold.
I think 4 examples should suffice, and there are several more cases applying to non-major championships if you care to do your homework. Clearly, those few cases that seem to corroborate the collusion argument can be attributed more to coincidence than intention. I mean , which coach, CHN or otherwise, wouldn't instruct their charges to do their utmost to beat Lin Dan or LCW regardless who the final opponent may be.
Lastly, let me put it to you that the feeble attempt to discredit Lin Dan's many well-deserved victories over LCW is an exercise in futility, on thin ice, and can actually backfire in ending up disparaging LCW as Lin Dan's most worthy and greatest rival. Allow me to round it up with the oft repeated sigh, if only LCW was born in a different era from Lin Dan's.