Better get used to it: barring Boe & Setiawan, the entire current Denmark & INA team will likely be around for the next 2 Thomas/Sudirman Cups; whereas LCW & LD will likely retire from the Thomas/Sudirman Cups next time round, and JPN & KOR's current junior MS are nowhere close. Strength and DEPTH of talents/development, that's what team competitions are about; even though my body can no longer take it, I love it when the matches of Thomas/Uber/Sudirman Cups are played deep into the night and decided by the juniors/lower-ranked players.
One might think I'm saying this just because I'm Indonesian, but I and a lot of badminton fans in Indonesia would agree that achievement wise, Taufik Hidayat > LCW. Taufik Hidayat lifted Thomas Cup twice, one Olympic gold, one World Championships gold, 3 Asian Championships, 3 Asian Games gold. Joining Lin Dan, Chen Long, only REAL champions collect major titles.
I know a lot of fans think that way, I suppose it is natural. But personally I am not quite sure how to evaluate, for example, the respective merit of Frost, Yang Yang and Zhao. They're all a bit blurred, you know what I mean? Moreover, I think having so many silver medals is a big achievement for LCW, specially at a time when there is a LD. If it was not for LD's presence, LCW would sure have many golds in his pocket. Objectively, his achievement is lower then other great champions, but subjectively I think he is amongst the very best.
OF COURSE there is NO such reality... it's surreal First of all the IOC must remove the countries/NOCs' medal tallies, they really have to ban such tally so athlete will just fight for his/her own personal glory... Then IOC better only include those commercially viable sports into the OG... because there won't be participants from those sports that aren't commercially viable. How those athletes of the lesser known sports afford the entire costs of the FOUR-YEAR dull and exhaustive training and preparation for the OG? Even popular ones but not commercially viable won't be able to make it. Just name few of them: Archery; XYZ Gymnastics; Canoe XYZ; Diving; Equestrian; Fencing; Judo; Rowing, etc etc.... Without the state sponsor and generous funding, no athlete of these branches will make through the FOUR YEAR "own investment" with nothing in return; only the empty medals from IOC won't buy them the real lives lol Without the state recognition & generous support and the subsequent honors and rewards, no one will work very hard just for the medal per se and/or personal glory! We all must be real and realistic... in particular to those folks who keep on voicing the clear separation between the athletes and their nations/states... such naive liberal push simply do not match the reality!
Very true. Nevertheless, we can keep in mind that there is a kind of contradiction in Oly, some principles contradict others, making it quite fuzzy. But the realities you describe are undeniable
I have clear ideas on this matter because just a couple of ago I watched the documentary film on athletes' preparations for this 4-year event... so grueling, so boring...the four-year works in waiting, not to mention an army of coaching team and training facilities to support the athletes...
And LD is called the GOAT, LCW is called the Sultan of SS...Also LCW has a Dato.... Now, are you exaggerating....TH has 3 Asian Games gold, 2X TC win, 3 Asian Championships??? We are sending in our 2 accountants to check this out...where is Alan and Limsy
LCW with Hendrawan, Lin Dan with Tang Xianhua , Chen Long with Xia Xuanze. Let the WAR begin !!!!!!!!
Yang > Zhao> Frost It's not that grey area as it seems as Yang Yang won the first badminton Olympics gold and has 2 World Championships.
I am an accountant. What were achieved by Taufik before 2006 made him the most successful player at that time. However, after AG 2006 as a Taufik's fan I am quite jealous to what has been achieved by Dato Lee Chong Wei.
What LCW has achieved is like some tennis pro winning every single tournament in tennis except, the AUS/French/Wimbledon/US opens. Or like AB Devilliers in Cricket, winning everything except for world cups/ICC trophies.
1988 in Seoul when badminton was first introduced and paved the foundation stone for badminton Olympics now
INA has always been the true founding fathers of badminton, masters like TXH were all from INA and imparted their wisdom to CHN in the modern era hence the much respect for INA .
If exhibition/demonstration sports are counted. Then, Rudy Hartono should be recorded as the first Olympics Gold Medalist not Yang Yang. he won it at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
You're right, my bad it was Rudy Hartono who won the first badminton Olympic games as demonstration sport.
The fact that you keep insisting LCW is not great or whatever, well maybe he has got some greatness. Why would you keep harping otherwise? Well, to Malaysians at least, he will be a legacy for a long time, because we do not have many to choose from anyway. Whatever you say won't make a difference to us.