Liu Xiang will announce his retirement in a few days. http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/03/liu-xiang-retire-olympics-track-and-field-china/ With both Liu Xiang and Li Na retired, Lin Dan will become the most valuable active athlete in China.
Well, maybe I was right. I said that LD losing earlier this year was because of his age. I think his age showed against CL. LD had no stamina to power smash in the 3rd set against CL and LD just rallied his way through, not offering any pressure against CL. If LD keeps going like this, I doubt he will be a factor in the 2016 Olympics. Age will just work against him over the next year, rather than help him. For sure, CL should be made the lead singles player in the Surdiman Cup - LD can no longer be relied on as China's #1 mens singles player.
Yes, Lin Dan has it really good with Yonex. His contract covers the next two Olympic cycles. Thoughts about 'who next for China badminton' might be premature. Anta, another big Chinese brand, is aggressively pursuing China's sports teams. But they have very little interest in badminton or any products specific to badminton. No, I haven't seen the contract. In fact, those involved are bound by NDAs (including Lin Dan).
2012 Malaysia open and eventhough TC is not MO, but 2010 edition in Malaysia, right ? and where is the "history of 2006 MO" during 2010 Thomas Cup ? even LCW only score 25 points, his second biggest defeat in 21x3 scoring system #1 is Beijing 2008 (20 pts) #2 is Thomas Cup 2010 (25 pts) where is the history ??? edit : in malaysia, LD vs LCW = 2 - 2 pre TC 2004 & TC 2010 ; MO 05 & 06 so why LD has to worried to LCW even in Datuk's home country ?
Lol sour haters are always gonna hate, they love living in the past short glories of their idols. Quite pitiful some might say
I havn't see the final against CL but just watched the semis, and LD looked like having a good stamina, smashing and running to close the watch in the last six or seven rallies. But clearly lacked focus. I think this do not have to do with age strictly speaking, except mental age perhaps.
Gone are the days when LD smash taps (jump smash and burst to the front and taps the shuttle) his opponents. Most likely due to age. He becomes a stroke player and tries to control his opponents with quality strokes and deception till they make a mistake or plays a weak return then he kills them. But hey you have to give credit to CL man..He is very good now and can be considered the best at the moment. He is fast, has v accurate smashes and can tank most of LD's shots and even counter them.. For a tall player, CL has v strong legs and good footwork as compared to players like BCL. As a LD fan, Im just hoping there would be some players ( Xue song, kento momota and Jorgensen) stopping CL from winning too many tournaments so LD record won't be broken.
LD stopped regularly follow on his smashe long time ago, in 2009. It has nothing to do with CL being to good, as LD enjoyed great successes during this period, including six months ago on the AG final against CL, after very little preparation.
This is interesting The player in the background, HS Prannoy of India, is wearing 'Lin Dan' shoes for his match against Lin Dan! The model is Yonex SHB 02 LTD (Lin Dan).
Actually, I look at it differently. LD has had to adapt his gameplay as players caught up in their defensive play. As a player, LD has matured. Successful/dominating all-out attack play at high levels is hard to get away with, especially against players such as CL.
I just don't get what has happened to him. He was playing brilliantly last year. He was just amazing till the Asian Games, then came some injury or stuff.
The Malaysian Open title is the only Superseries title still missing from Lin Dan’s impressive collection. http://www.thestar.com.my/Sport/Bad...aysian-Open-title-continues-to-elude-Lin-Dan/ the article is not correct. not only Malaysia, but also Indonesia, Spore, and India even if the author means SSP title, still it is not correct as Indonesia also SSP
As a badminton player, Lin Dan is known to be intrepid, there's never been any opponent or tournament that can faze him, those talks about him not being able to win certain tournaments or jinxed are just idle gossip and fodder for newspaper/newsmedia chat column. What's so special or difficult about a particular tournament that he cannot win it when he has already conquered all the peaks winning all the most coveted titles and becoming the most decorated player? The reasons, if any, can only be arbitrary, accidental or frivolous. What's truly amazing is his self-mastery in the face of odds and adversity and how he overcomes them time and again as , for example, the match with JOJ at the MAS Open PSS semifinals when he was faulted three times by the umpire for service faults, specifically stepping on the court divider, which adversely affected his focus and the game. He not only lost G1 as a result but also had to deal with a very determined opponent on top of his game. Yet he didn't give in to despair nor give up when all seemed lost but dug his heels in, composed himself and gradually fought his way back and eventually emerged victorious over his strong,difficult opponent. In the final stretch of G3 with JOJ, I somehow felt I saw glimpses of the scintillating, fast and furious, attacking Lin Dan that we knew. And the thought came to my mind, he's still capable of it but not all the time and probably reserving it as a secret weapon when really needed. Only thing is in the Chen Long match in G3, Lin Dan couldn't reproduced it to save himself. Either he didn't want to show his card at that time or he was tired as he's just come back from injury so didn't want to force himself.
