After some deliberation, I'm now more inclined to think we won't see Lin Dan at the upcoming WC. If last year's WC is any indication when prior to the announcement of the wild card both LYB and LD had expressed their unwillingness to two of the qualifiers, namely DPY and WZM then, to make way for LD's inclusion, I think it's going to be the same this time round. It'll be quite a stretch and unwise for LYB t sideline his three lieutenants, DPY,WZM and THW, so as to accommodate his favourite disciple, the 5xWC and 2xOG champ Lin Dan, and risk incurring the displeasure and hurting the morale of Team CHN. After all, CHN has won the WC so many times and LD himself has been there and done that 5 times already, so I believe LYB who has come a long way in his magnificent 21-year tenure as Head Coach would want to do the right thing and strike a happy balance in ensuring continuity and nurturing of new talents as being more important than individual glory. Besides, Chen Long is not without realistic chances of winning the WC himself, and LYB as well as his coaches know that. That said, I personally still feel the WC'14 cannot do without Lin Dan, the defending champion, just so that we would have an undisputed eventual world champion emerging in the end.
I feel conflicted. One one hand, I'd really love to see young players like WZM/THW get some chances in the big matches. On another hand, I think LD is really the best chance to beat LCW.
It's not a big deal, it's just WC 2014. So for the 12 months leading up to this WC LD didn't qualify because he chose to be out of competition. So he's out of contention for 2014. So what, it's not the mother of all WC. It's only for 2014. He's still WC 2013 champion and OG 2008 and 2012 champion.
LD may be saying : what the heck, I have been the World Champion so many times. Let CL and others have a shot.
I guess it's more likely that Super Dan may be contemplating... "what's heck with all the fusses of the badminton fans, i ain't that thirsty for the title, i have had enough championship, now let the LCW or CL or any others have his turn. At best they will grab the WC title in the absence of my participation..."
I think you will find LD will take a backseat this time & will be focused on Thomas Cup & Sudirman Cup....the big 1 the Olympic games will be in his mind...Im sure that LYB will feel CL has enough in his locker to take care of LCW (so will THW)...the record book wont show whether LD took part or not...remember LD gave WC to CJ...I know countryman etc so this year he gives it to CL...Massive pressure on LCW if LD does not play as he will 90% favorite....pressure pressure pressure.
The big title this year is Asian games, not WC. If LD do not go to WC the regrets are not his, but the fans' who like to enjoy the best badminton.
Curious American asking Chinese Nationals. Who's more famous in China: Lin Dan, Lebron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods?
I read somewhere that Lin Dan was the most famous athlete in China, after Yao Ming retired from the NBA. ...but I'm not chinese so I don't know if it's true...
If I were to compare Lin Dan with someone in another sport, it would have to be Ronnie O'Sullivan (snooker). So many similarities... And both the most natural talents ever seen in their sports.
i think Li Na is the most famous. She certainly makes much more money than Lin Dan in terms of sponsorship. If Lin Dan does indeed sign with adidas, hope that will narrow the gap.
"i think Li Na is the most famous. She certainly makes much more money than Lin Dan in terms of sponsorship. If Lin Dan does indeed sign with adidas, hope that will narrow the gap." I think it's very wrong to associate the athlete popularity [of different sports] with the amount of money in terms of sponsorship. Under current establishment, those glamour sports like tennis, golf, soccer, Formula-1 racing, basketball, American football, boxing will surely be loaded with MUCH more cash, not only in terms of tournament prize money, but also the athlete sponsorship. There's simply no way that other traditional sports incl. badminton can compete with those few elite sports in terms of money abundance and the very generous media coverage incl. the broadcast right contracts... remember, those few sports are elevated, and are indeed the crown jewels and showcases of the successes of the current capitalistic system. Whenever you tune in the major TV sport channels (subscribed or FTA) under the giant networks, most likely you will watch either one of the aforementioned sports...their overwhelming presence are imposed on you, you don't have the alternative, unless you go to internet seeking for streaming IIRC the total prize money in just ONE grand slam tennis tournament may exceed or nearly equal to the TOTAL prize money for ALL the badminton tournaments throughout the year! Go figure. Btw both Lin Dan and Li Na were named China´s CCTV Sports Personality of the Year in 2014 http://english.cntv.cn/program/newshour/20140112/102406.shtml
So is Lin Dan a household name in China? For example, I would be fairly confident that at least one person in each family in America knows the name Lebron James, probably greater than 75%. Can that be said about the average family in China with regards to Lin Dan?
