Lin Dan : The “Super Dan” Legacy
- Manu_MG
- Dec 2, 2024
- 3 min read
Lin Dan is a retired Chinese badminton player who is regarded as the greatest singles players of all time being the only one in the history of the sport to accomplish the feat of completing the “Super Grand Slam” which includes all the nine major championships, the Olympic Games, World Cup, World Championships, All England Open, Sudirman Cup, Thomas Cup, Asian Games, Super Series Masters Finals and Asian Championships. Due to this exceptional feat of achievement, he was given the nickname “Super Dan”.
He started his badminton training at the age of five and won his first National Junior Championship at twelve. However, 2001 marked the beginning of his professional career, when he was selected by the Chinese national team at the age of eighteen. He secured his first-ever victory in the Korean Open in 2002, and his winning streak continued in 2003 with victories in Denmark, Hong Kong, and China. Lin made a great start to his career in 2004, ranking at number one on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings. He helped China win the Swiss Open and also won his first All England Open championship that year. Lin defeated Peter Gade from Denmark in three consecutive matches in the 2004 Thomas Cup Final, giving China its first title in 14 years and ended the 2004 season, winning titles at the Denmark, Germany, and China Opens and nobody could predict how great he would become over the next 16 years.
Lin Dan has 666 career wins, he won 66 singles titles so far, including 15 BWF Super Series titles, 5 BWF Super Series Premier titles, and one BWF Super Series Finals title. He is a five-time World Champion, five-time All England Champion and the only two-time Olympic Champion. In 2010 he became the first badminton player to win all of the current major titles available to an Asian men’s player on an individual and national level. Lin was selected Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the game's closing ceremony that same year. He won the BWF Best Male Player of the year in 2008 and was named the 2010 Best Male Athlete in CCTV Sports Personality of the Year in 2011.
He made his Olympic debut in 2004, but was eliminated early in the tournament. Lin won his first Olympic gold medal in 2008, defeating his arch-rival and friend, Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia becoming the first men's singles player to win an Olympic gold as the number one seed. He faced Lee Chong Wei again at the 2012 Olympic final, but this time it was not easy for Lin, as he lost the opening game but fearlessly fought to win the second set. The rubber game was a thriller in which Lin fought to earn a 21-19 triumph in the Olympic finals making him the first men's singles player to successfully defend an Olympic title. Lin Dan played Lee Chong Wei again at the 2016 Olympics, but this time he lost in an epic three-set match 15-21, 21-11, 22-20 and this was his last time competing in the Olympics.
Lin Dan first competed at the World Championships in 2005, winning a silver medal. He won his first World Championship in 2006, defeating his compatriot in the final. Lin extended his world championship reign in 2007. Thus, Lin Dan became the first badminton player after Yang Yang to win the world championships two times in a row, and in 2009, he won his third World Championships title by defeating one of his fellow team members. His fourth World Championship title was secured in 2012, defeating Peter Gade in the semi-finals and Lee Chong Wei in a challenging three-game final. He defeated Lee Chong Wei once more in 2013 to win his fifth and final title. His final participation in that competition was at the 2017 World Championships.
The rivalry between Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei is considered the greatest in the history of badminton despite Lin dominating over Lee. Of their 40 meetings, Lin won the head-to-head by 28–12 but Lee Chong Wei was ranked World number one throughout both their careers consecutively for almost 10 years. Lin Dan is noted not just for his exceptional skills and talent, but also for his temperament, which included outbreaks of fury that made him a mystery-filled character. The Chinese authoritative system changed their rules so that he could get away with his temper tantrums on the court. He was very elegant and flamboyant, both on the badminton court and off the court. His impressive performances on the badminton court, and “bad boy” image made him a popular sports figure. He also has an autobiography, "Until the End of the World" which was published after his second Olympic victory at London. He announced his retirement on July 4, 2020, at the age of 37, following his loss in the Korea Masters finals.
