Nice to see that. But I’m sure it worked the other way around too. LCW also kept Lin Dan on his toes. Lin Dan was getting lazy around 2010-2011 (esp at AE2011 where his sluggish self was decisively beaten by LCW), I’m sure the thought of LCW was the one that motivated him to do well at 2011WC afterwards.
True, Lin Dan himself has on a number of occasions admitted as much, they are indeed each other's greatest motivation and inspiration, also as archrivals, the greatest rivalry in badminton history.
Taufik vs Lin Dan's H2H is 4 vs 13, just look at the scores going as far back as 2001 where the 18-year-old Lin Dan routed the 20-year-old Taufik Hidayat 15-2 and 15-3 (!) :- 2012-08-01 LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 9-21, 12-21 2012-03-09 YONEX ALL ENGLAND OPEN BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 18-21, 8-21 2011-12-15 LI NING BWF WORLD SUPERSERIES FINALS 2011 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 12-21, 19-21 2011-01-28 VICTOR KOREA OPEN 2011 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 13-21, 21-8, 15-21 2010-05-16 PROTON BWF THOMAS & UBER CUP FINALS 2010 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 7-21, 14-21 2009-11-01 YONEX FRENCH SUPER SERIES 2009 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 6-21, 15-21 2008-11-29 YONEX SUNRISE HONG KONG SUPER SERIES 2008 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 17-21, 14-21 2007-11-30 HONG KONG SUPER SERIES 2007 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 12-21, 14-21 2007-11-02 FRENCH SUPER SERIES 2007 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 14-21, 20-22 2007-01-17 PROTON MALAYSIA SUPER SERIES 2007 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 19-21, 21-23 DOHA 2006 ASIAN GAMES Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan W 21-15, 22-20 YONEX JAPAN OPEN 2006 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 21-16, 16-21, 3-21 HONG KONG OPEN 2006 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 1-4 2005-08-21 BWF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2005 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan W 15-3, 15-7 SINGAPORE OPEN 2005 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan W 15-12, 15-8 DJARUM INDONESIA OPEN 2004 Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan W 5-15, 15-5, 15-11 ASIA BADMIN CHAMPS 2001 (I) Taufik HIDAYAT vs LIN Dan L 2-15, 3-15
https://sports.sina.com.cn/others/badmin/2020-04-21/doc-iircuyvh8925798.shtml dated 21 April 2020 Lee Chong Wei in an online live broadcast said, if he were Lin Dan, he would choose retirement now, adding it's very challenging to compete with players more than 10 years your junior. Looking at the current state of MS, he thinks more highly of Kento Momota, next Shi Yuqi and Axelsen. No doubt LCW is supportive of Lin Dan still persisting in his Olympic dream but considering the reality, he frankly acknowledged he would not carry on if he were Lin Dan. LCW added:" Lin Dan is already a very great athlete, there's no championship he has not acquired, his dream is to press on with another Olympics participation. I thinks he deserves encouragement, after all to persevere at the age of 36 for a 5th Olympic appearance is a highly remarkable thing. For athletes at this age to still dare to pursue such a goal is exceedingly extraordinary. But given the Olympics has been postponed by a year, if I were him, dropping to MS 3 (in the team), at this time I'd choose to retire. If he is retired, I plan to play exhibition matches with him, and discuss with him how to promote the sport."
https://sports.sina.com.cn/others/badmin/2020-04-23/doc-iircuyvh9381816.shtml Sindhu named her career's three most difficult opponents, praised Lin Dan as history's greatest On Lin Dan, Sindhu said he is one of her biggest idols and extolled him as the greatest badminton player in history," he is absolutely a legendary figure in the badminton arena, Lin Dan's match videos are the ones I watched the most, he proves that despite his growing age, he is still considered an unexcelled genius." Sindhu in a recent interview and interaction with fans, pointed out the three toughest opponents in her career, they are namely (not in any order), Tai Tzu Ying for her excellent technique, Carolina Marin for her nimble movement, and Chen Yufei for her powerful smash . At the same time she revealed Marin is the player she most wanted to beat at the Tokyo Olympics, to avenge her previous defeat at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
A fanmade documentary on Lin Dan. part 1/2 0:48 - a brief intro of his childhood, where he was a mischievous and active kid. 1:29 - one of the training was compression of ligament, which was his biggest fear. if he can't do it, trainer would asked him to split his legs and straightened his back, then he used both hands to press on LD's shoulders, slowly forcing him down. this often brought tears to LD. 1:44 - despite his small size and often the smallest in his group, his performance often stand out among his peers. this was due to good genes from his parents (they excel in sports in their youth), and the more important factor, his competitive personality. whenever he lost in competition, even to older kids, he cried before the coach came to console him. this "refuse to accept losing" nature was already shown when he was still a kid. 2:37 - LD was spotted by Fujian Sports School (county) when he followed his mum to play badminton, his flexibility and left-handed caught their attention and he was invited to train there, with the coach emphasizing not to change to right-hand. LD remembered his parents had tried to force him to change to right-handed in the past (i wonder why), beating his hand whenever he used his left. lucky his stubborn temper in refusing to change, made them gave up. 3:04 - at the age of 9, LD was draft picked by Fujian Sports School (province), the sole presentative from his county. leaving his hometown at such a tender age, and lone, he felt loneliness. there was none truly caring for him and often the juniors were bullied by the seniors. there were times when he thought about quitting. 3:38 - gradually adapting to life at the school, his techniques and skills improved year by year. at 12, he won his first medal, finished runner-up in national junior tournament, B division MS. there was no prize money, only honors (probably a cert). before returning to his hometown, he borrowed some money from his coach to buy a ashtray and strawberry biscuits for his parents, to share his happiness of his achievement. 4:01 - some time later, he joined the army sports team (Ba Yi) and became a soldier. he was 150cm at the time. he received more solid training, but his results did not show improvement. he did not finished top 5 in the next 2 years of national junior competitions, and he sensed he was still a long way from joining the national team. at 14, he noticed a tall lady from Guangdong province, Xie Xingfang, and had a crush on her for 5 years. 4:45 - LD's personality (stubborn and hate loosing) is like a double-edged sword. it gave him courage in competitions, but also many troubles. LD recalled there was one time when a teammate challenged him "you can be no.1 in badminton, how about eating chilli?". he accepted the challenge without thinking and was hospitalised. 5:31 - at 15, representing BaYi, LD was drafted into the national team, and participated in the Asian junior championship. he lost in the round of 32 to an Indonesian and was lectured by his coaches, criticizing his lack of fight, giving up when he felt he can't win. he knew he was done. the next day in front of many in a meeting room, he was booted out of the national junior team. thinking back, LD said the embarrassment and shame he felt that moment, was a blessing. in the past, he would feel excited if he trained well, but out or sorts if he did not do well. he was also banned for training for 20 days when he threw his racket. the coaches had never seen such a disobedience student before. 6:31 - since the sacking, LD began to be more earnest and serious in badminton, understanding that you cannot just lost a match because you don't feel great today. his change in thinking and attitude was reflected in his performance. 3 months later he was back to the national junior team. 6:40 - in year 2000 national senior team draft pick, he was not selected in the first round. thinking back, he understood that the coaches had a very bad impression of him, mischievous, self-centred, disobedience. many disliked him. LD was sad over this and his BaYi director was also anxious. the director told him he would tried all means to get him into the national team. and hence LD was selected through the back door. to be continue in thread # 12208 ....
continued from thread # 12207... 7:22 - knowing how he got in, LD was pressured. he dare not lift his head when eating at canteen, finishing his meal in double quick time and left. he knew he can only change their opinions and looks on him, by his performance and result. BaYi coaches often remind him to focus on training, and never touch beer/liquor and play with handphone. 7:43 - a self-disciplined living plus high intensity training in national team, LD was improving fast. first he won the Asian junior men's team and MS championship, and later the world junior championship, proofing his ability and not his connection that got him into the national team. a year later, at 18, he was chosen as the focal player in training as the national team went through a change of guards to replace the older players with younger ones. LD gradually appeared in the senior ciruit since then. 8:08 - after a year of 7 points system, in 2002, BWF reverted back to 15 points system after many protests, complaining that it had lost its beauty and was now about fitness and strength. this was a setback for LD. before he adapted to this, for about 8 months since the 2nd half year of 2002, he lost in the first round of almost every competitions he entered. he began to doubt himself and even afraid of playing competitively. the coaches decided to freeze him. in the 6 months since, LD was training indoors, hoping to discover the breaking point. somehow this depressive period lit up his inner hunger. making his return in the Japan Open, he was like a bull that was locked for a long time, charging all the way to the final, almost playing 3 games in every match. this showed he was able to face his inner fear. although he lost in the final to Xia Xuanze, he felt he had finally breakdown the barrier. 9:32 - in 2003, at 20, LD's relationship with Xie start to blossom. this year he also reached his high point. although he lost in the round of 16 to Xia in his first WC, he won Denmark, HK and China Open. after winning Denmark Open, he did a military salute to the fans, which became his signature style. in 2004 AE final, he defeated his idol Peter Gade after 3 hard fought games, winning his first AE crown. in the interview later, PG was praising LD and used the nick 'Super Dan' to describe him (i think LD should reward PG for coming up with this nick). 10:22 - after winning Swiss and Demark Open, in March at the age of 20, LD shot from no. 60 to no.1 in world ranking. this was a boost to him for the coming Athens 2004 Olympics. in May 2004 Thomas cup, it was the first time he would played as the first single. while preparing for it, he pushed himself hard, asking for more training, to constantly keep himself at top condition. in the final vs Denmark, he beat PG and helped China regain the Cup after 14 years. 11:13 - LD's happiness didn't last year. in august Olympics, LD was upset in the first round. thinking back, he felt a sense of bewilderment when the match ended. "is this the end?" he messaged Xie after the match and Xie thought he was joking. as no. 1 seed and carrying the hopes of his country, this was just the beginning of his torment. he did not sleep that night, unable to accept the face and facing criticism from outside, he also need to return to the arena to support his team mates. seeing them fighting on the court, while he was knocked out, the feeling was worse then losing. 20:14 - 2005 Sudirman cup final, China vs Indonesia, the match between Taufik and LD was the talk of the town. before the match TH said : "did LD said at the Indonesian Open that he want to beat me? let's see how he beat me tomorrow.". when the media told LD this, LD replied that he would handled him. after 59 mins of play, in a fight for country and individual honor, LD won in 2 straight games, helping China win the Sudirman cup. still, he can't forgot the loss in Olympics. he told his coach "i'd win back whatever i lost.". LD's parents were also invited to Beijing to watch him. whenever he was to stay at Beijing for 2 weeks, he would told them to join him. nothing is more important then being together. 13:30 - 2005, at age of 22, at the peak of his physical condition, fast movement and powerful smash, LD won the German, Japan, China and HK open. in 2006, as world no.1 for almost 2.5 years, he had yet to capture Olympics, WC and Asian Games. thinking back, he said there was a time when he was scared of people calling him 'Super Dan', because being 'Super' means you should not lost. but whenever he faced a major that he had won before, he would feel anxious and pressure. 14:02 - In WC held in September, a prepared LD thought he would meet TH in the semi (TH beat LD in 2005 WC and 2005 AG), instead he faced Chen Hong. in the final vs Bao Chunlai, with Bao's fitness condition deteriorating in the final 3rd game, LD won 21-12 to win his WC. thinking back LD said he didn't show much excitement when he won as he was facing a compatriot, his heart was more peace. his girlfriend Xie also won in the WS discipline. with the WC win, LD officially carried his country hope for 2008 Beijing Olympics, and building the Super Dan dynasty. end of part 1....
A fanmade documentary on Lin Dan. part 2/2 continued from part 1, with LD first WC in 2006, he carried his form into 2007, winning 5 SS tiles and defending this WC title. 0:42 - 2008, the year of Beijing Olympics. LD had several controversies in the first half ot the year and was even labelled as bad boy of badminton by the media. in the Korea open final, he was up against korean Lee Hyun Il. in the 3rd game with the score at 21-21, LD recalled that the shuttle went out but was called in by the linesman. he protested with the umpire but as he was unsighted, he gave the point to Lee. LD continued his protest as this was a critical point and there were already 4 misjudgments before this. korean coach Li Mao (from China) was also anxious as the umpire had over-ruled all 4 previously to LD's favour. Li Mao said : "before that all were over-ruled to your favour. why this one must also ruled in your favor.". LD was also getting agitated and questioned why he as a China citizen and a coach, helped the koreans against him. if the koreans are not happy, they should stepped in instead of Li Mao. they had an argument and LD threw his racket. the media reported on this korean scandal and scolded him for lack of manners/moral, but the way the koreans manipulate the match was also disgraceful. 2:08 - not long after, while China was preparing for Thomas cup, media reported that LD beat coach Ji Xinpeng openly. the team organised a 5v5 internal competition and opened to media. LD's team lost and he blamed this on Ji's grouping of singles player. both had a heated argument and LD threw his fist on Ji's body. he was stopped by his teammates when he was about to throw a second punch. the media quickly called him a bad boy. in his autobio, LD claimed that when Chen Long won his match, it should be LD's team A win since CL was in his team. coach Zhong Po thought CL was in team B and Ji then announced team B won. LD then shouted from afar "how can that be." and Ji was stunned. both LD and Ji (they both had a loud vocal) then start arguing. Zhong Po found he made a mistake and kept quiet, though it was too late to stop it. with the media around, they didn't exchanged strong words but the attitude was still bad. the matter was then blown out by outside media that was not present when they obtained news from other sources. Li Yongbo told LD it would be a difficult period with many media criticisms but he had to focus on training and prepare well for Olympics. 3:40 - helpless with the pressure from the coming Olympics, LD felt deeply that in China, the people would only recognized you when you win an Olympic gold, the others are just a passing cloud. you cannot change this, only to accept it. "I'm a controversial person. hence i got be to better and win until no one dare to a thing. i can only be such a player. in the days before the Olympics, i have to prove myself everyday. when the pressure is too big, i feel anxious and look unreasonable in others' view. i was banned for 80d of training when i threw a racket in my days at BaYi. but in preparing for Beijing the number of rackets i threw was enough to form a (army) company. this is the pressure i have to face. many are waiting to see how i fare in Beijing. there are fans who wish me luck, but there are also many who are waiting to see me fail." (ok, i not sure if i interpret this correctly, so if i'm wrong, please correct me.) 4:41 - the Olympics begin and LD approached it with a "make or break" mentality. he went into the final, winning all matches 2-0, and faced LCW. it was quite straight forward with LD leading 11-1 at one stage in the second game. thinking back, LD recalled that he threw his racket in happiness and the win brought a relief to him. in the moment when he hugged his coaches, he felt that he was crying and it had been a long long time since he last cried. 5:18 - after the Olympics, LD repeatedly told the media that he always wanted to use his achievement to tell people that not only is he good in badminton, he is also a modest person. he is not the type to think he was amazing after being a champion, and then behaved rashly and beating up coaches. in his autobio, LD felt this win was a turning point in his life. when he looked at the medal, he felt happiness but also weird. before this he had won many titles and played many good matches/rallies, but most people impression of him was still the Beijing final. is this the only match in his career? although he had reached the pinnacle, he felt his stage was getting smaller, and defined by only the podium in the Olympics. he felt a sense of cruelty that a sportsman who left his hometown at a young age, trained day after day, sacrificing youth and family, to prepare for an event that come after every 4 years, only to have his value judge upon the result. what happen if he miss the Olympics due to injury, or did not fare well because of injury? hence he want to the world, if he get to play in 2012, he will still play hard for his country, but please do not tie the country's honor and player's value to that gold medal. 6:35 - in 2008, LD won the Olympics, and LCW began his reign as world no.1. the badminton world also went into the Lin-Lee era. in the coming years, both went on to dominate the MS circult. in 2010, people's attention was on whether LD will achieve the career slam. in the Asian Games final, LD would beat LCW to complete the slam, winning Olympics, world championship, world cup, asian games, asia badminton championship, all england, and many other titles. 7:15 - LD dynasty was also felt in the badminton world. one of LD feature was his constant evolution or changes. known for his speed and power in the past, he gradually changed his playing style, improving his net play, deception and defence. despite being on top, he continued to increase and improved his skill sets. his understanding of the game was his most feared weapon. 7:42 - in 2011, he won 9 titles plus his 4th WC. in his autobio, he recalled that of all the past matches, this was one where both played at their best. LCW played like a giant and just millimetres away from the pinnacle. in winning his 4th WC, LD wanted to show the world he would not be satisfied with a career glam. he was still the king of badminton and was constantly writing new records. 8:12 - come to 2012 London Olympics, in an interview prior how he felt to come as a defending champ, LD replied he felt proud. after being in national team for 12 years, he was still the no.1 pick from his coaches. London was his 3rd Olympics and he wanted to create a record that future generation will find it difficult to surpass. this was the LD era and he wished people would remembered and recognized him, not only as a badminton player but a person too, instead of many titles he won. people are wondering when he will win his 17th, 18th title, thinking it is a natural progression, but never saw the effort he put in every day. to be continue....
continue from thread # 12209 ... 9:03 - july 2012, LD began his road to defending his Olympics title. he beat Taufik 2-0 in the round of 16, and went all the way into the final against LCW. LCW was better prepared and made less errors, winning the first game. LD came back to win the second. in the rubber game, both displayed all their skills set. in the end, LCW lifted beyond the the court and LD won the match, becoming the first to defend the MS Olympics title. 9:46 - after the Olympics, LD gave himself a 6 months break to be with his family. for the past 12 years, he had never spent more than 6 months with his family. coming back to the circuit, LD did not show any rustiness in his techniques. in 2013 WC final against LCW, LD lost the first game. in the second game, there was suspicions that the air condition was switched off causing the stadium to heat up. under the hot condition, LD won the second game. in the third game at 16-19, LCW suffered a cramp to his thigh and regretfully forfeited the match. LD won and set a record of 5 WC title victory. 10:35 - LD : "I felt our relationship now was unlike the past. we treasured each match we played together as we are both in our 30s. every match is precious now. i am really thankful for having such a great opponent." 10:53 - with LD coming to 30 years old, his playing style had changed to playing to 4 corners, challenging at the net, long rallies, playing deception to regain control. Li Yongbo acknowledged his change, saying with LD experience, his understanding of the game was much higher than the younger players. in 2014, LD beat LCW in the semi, and in the final, came back from a game down to beat CL, successfully defending his AG title. he had now win Olympics, WC, AG, thomas, sudirman and (China) national games twice, completing a career slam twice. 11:50 - 33 years old LD meet LCW again in the Olympics. in the interview after the match LD said the biggest winner was the fans, and was thankful to LCW. they had been competing again each other for 16 years, showing their best in competitions and rarely had a one-sided match. LD also mentioned that he did felt bad after the defeat but was surprised to receive more encouragement and understanding from fans. in the past people felt they supported him because he was winning, hence he felt blessed and special this time. lastly when the interviewer asked him if he had any words for LCW, LD replied : "thanks for your greatness. and thanks for your companion.". 12:50 - over the 10 years of LD dynasty, his achievement was stupendous. 2 Olympics, 5 WC, 6 AE, 5 thomas, 5 sudirman, etc, made him a legend. none in the past had such records, and it seems none in the present has the chance to surpass him. LD is still giving his best on the court. thinking back, when you are young and present your country for the first time in a competition, you may not sleep well due to excitement. when your result is getting better and better and everyone is hoping you continue to win, you may not sleep well due to anxiety. and now he don't know how many thomas cup he can play, he only hope he can have more good memories from the limited time he has on the court. 13:41 - that was one time on his return to Beijing after a tournament, he watched "slam dunk" to pass the time. when he was small, he especially loved the opening song. he felt the lyrics and music was suitable for youngsters (him). at the end of each episode, he would skipped the closing song to go to the next episode. but that day, he finished listening the closing song. the image at the end was the lead character walking with his back facing the screen. he suddenly felt that when he retired, this would be the last image fans saw of him. the title of this song "until the end of the world" was tattooed on LD's right arm. at this age, he felt this is more suitable for him. the end.... bonus ... one of my all time fav anime too
@lodoss! I was watching this video a couple days ago deeply wishing there were subtitles! You are back at it again! I am truly very grateful for your efforts.
thank you. my translation was not that great/accurate though (saw several grammar/verb mistakes when i went through) but thanks guys for your 'likes'.
I love to read everything I can about him, and you made an extraordinary effort, typing out everything, which made for an excellent read. Never mind the small mistakes, it's more than I could wish for.
Since this is Lin Dan's thread, I'll translate only what I heard the last 10 seconds or so of the above video where Xia Xuanze is saying Lin Dan is still thinking of fighting for a spot at the Olympics, he's not going to give up. Just before that, XXZ revealed that Lin Dan has applied for leave to go home and see his son but depending on the situation he'd probably have to wait three weeks or so for approval to do so. [Sorry,I misheard and, therefore, mistranslated this part a bit, it should be " Lin Dan has applied for three weeks leave...but would have to await his approval based on the (Covid-19) situation. - Justin] [Usually I avoid translating videos as there is no written script that I can easily look up the Chinese-English dictionary for any words that I'm not too sure of despite there being same language subtitling, pardon me for it]
It's actually quite refreshing and inspiring to learn that LD's path was not as smooth as one might expect. It wasn't just a linear progression towards becoming a God, there were lots of struggles and setbacks. He didn't just keep getting better and better at every step of the way, he wasn't always the best in his province, in the national team, or junior circuit. But he still became the greatest of all time. It's almost as if he is just like the rest of us... human.
Actually, it doesn't matter as long as the player you're interested in is covered in the video or article, no need to apologise. In fact, we welcome any news regarding any player and thank you for posting. For anything regarding Chinese badminton in general, not specific to any one CHN player/pair, you may post it here, including your views and comments: https://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/index.php?threads/chinese-badminton.132166/page-143
For me , I tend to agree with LCW that Lin Dan should retire now or maybe even earlier, perhaps just after the Rio'16 Olympics. However, with the benefit of hindsight, I'd much prefer he retired just after winning the Asian Games MS title in 2014 (beating LCW in the semis and Chen Long in the final) and then injured his knee while playing friendly soccer with his buddies, which he claimed was the worst injury he ever sustained in his career. Ideally, it's good to bow out on a high but I'm suddenly reminded that he had signed a lucrative multi-million dollar 10-year contract with Yonex (2015 through 2025), so I supposed he had no choice but to carry on active competition initially for a number of years before finally hanging up his racquet for good (probably after the Tokyo 2020 OG if he qualifies, the more so if he didn't). That's just my opinion. Well, we can speculate a bit on what Lin Dan might be doing post-retirement and I'm pretty sure he'd do his utmost to stay relevant in the badminton world, not as an active player but as promoter and popularizer of badminton globally. To be honest, I much hope he finds some time to coach CHN WS since Li Mao is already in-charge of CHN MS and will be for quite a while.
