Zhang Jike Can Exceed Any Athlete In The Past Zhang Jike is always compared with the Chinese badminton superstar Lin Dan. With their achievements and charisma, most people say they are the same. However, Liu Guoliang said that there is actually no point in comparison. If Zhang Jike can maintain his advantage for the next decade, he can surpass any athlete, including Lin Dan. PingPang World. Looking on the success and probably physical features, Zhang Jike is always compared with Lin Dan but Liu Guoliang begs to disagree. “A lot of people compare Zhang Jike and Lin Dan. The badminton star has already accumulated a lot of years of successful experience. Zhang Jike has just started his journey. Simply, there is no comparison between them.” Liu Guoliang said. For the head coach, the table tennis Grand Slam champion has the capacity to surpass any athlete even Lin Dan. “Probably after 8 or 10 years, if Zhang Jike will be able to maintain his current strength and advantage, I believe that he can exceed Lin Dan. If he can lead well, he can be more than any athlete from the past.” He added. Of course, that all depends on how much challenges Zhang Jike can accept. In terms of results, Zhang Jike is doing well. But on other aspects, like responsibility, he still lack some things. “This is a very high requirement for him. This is not just a requirement for him to achieve in the arena but to have a better awareness on things.” Liu Guoliang concluded. http://tabletennista.com/2015/1/zhang-jike-can-exceed-any-athlete-in-the-past/
Lin Dan is a master strategist, a master champion. The hallmark of a champion is to rise to the occasion. To thrive under pressure. Lin Dan is undoubtedly the best player in Badminton of all times, and (at least for all the players I have watched in the current generation) the most complete, mentally strong player. He can, as everyone says, Just up his game, thrive on pressure. But, if you have ever seen Zhang Ji Ke, he far exceeds Lin Dan in this respect. This guy literally feeds in pressure. He has the same stereotype of the bad arrogant boy that Lin Dan had in his younger years. But this little Table Tennis player, is such a cool cookie, that I suspect, if an alien were to play against him for the survival of human race, he will eat all the pressure up, and beat the crap out of that alien. Now to a more fundamental point. This ability to thrive under pressure. Is it innate? Can it be built? How to develop it?
Whether Zhang Jike can surpass Lin Dan's achievements and greatness is for the future to tell. At present, ZJK is age 27 whereas Lin Dan is 31 and at the tail end of his career in a comparatively more physically demanding sport. It's common for table tennis players to compete actively until 35 to 40 years old at a high level. Jan Ove Waldner, the legendary Swedish player who until today is highly regarded and admired in China and across the world, played until age 46 before he retired from elite international competitions in May 2012. He together with China's Liu Guoliang, Kong Linghui and Zhang Jike are the four male players to have completed the so-called grand slam in table tennis comprising the World Championship, the World Cup and the Olympic gold in singles. In terms of accomplishments, Lin Dan's phenomenal feat is greater in having completed the badminton grand slam, i.e. World Championship,Olympic golds, and what other accolades (World Cup in 2005 and 2006, Asian Games, All England?) - at least twice over, and he is still more or less at the height of his continuing career to possibly garner a few more majors. Talking about mental strength, the ability to thrive under pressure, I don't think Zhang Jike is as tough as Lin Dan. If my memory serves me right,last year at the world team championships, ZJK went down to Germany's Dmitry Ovtcharov, and another time he was beaten by another German, the great Timo Boll. Incidentally, today at the Suzhou World Championships, ZJK was booted out by his compatriot, the unfancied Fang Bo in the semifinals. Don't forget, these two years, ZJK is at his prime, unlike Lin Dan whose biggest flop was at the 2004 Athens Olympics when he was only 21 years old at the beginning of his career and, however, at every team championships he never faltered. To be fair to Lin Dan, should he waver in the near future, we have to take into account that age is catching up with him.
Once a champion always a champion . We can only compare style and skill of the players and any two should not be compared on the basis of who is ahead or who is behind IMO .
Yes i agree, not fair to compare lin dan to table tennis player. As shown on my clip, Lin dan is to be compare either other 2 greats Peter Gade and Taufik!
As reported in this article http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2015-05-06/15187598955.shtml - at the upcoming Sudirman Cup, we should see Lin Dan donning national colours sponsored by Li-Ning but using racquets, shoes and kit bag by Yonex's , the Lin Dan exclusive series, as confirmed by the Yonex China Regional General Manager.
Quite interesting, thought Cheung's explanation of Lin Dan's Li-Ning contract prohibited him from wearing anything with yonex logos in China. I wonder if it'll be him sporting all the products with the yonex logo omitted like previously. The article seems to say that he'll be actually wearing the Yonex logo. Hopefully Lin Dan doesn't step into personal v national sponsorship warfare like the Danish players did. I'm also sure that they've done their work in ironing out all the kinks.
LiNing Sponsors the team. but if lin dan has an individual yonex contract. its only right for him to wear li ning stuff in team events. but in SS he shud be allowed to wear yonex ..jus like LCW his contract has no conflict wif victor for only asking him wear victor in team comps
It's stated clearly in the said article that only Li-Ning's logo will be on his uniform like everyone else in Team CHN but the racquet, shoes and kit bag he uses can carry Yonex logo, specifically the Lin Dan exclusive series.
what i meant was tht in individual tournaments lin dan shud be allowed to wear yonex jerseys instead of LiNing ones.
Li Ning sponsorship to national team stops that from happening. he can wear anything from yonex but the team jersey must be Li Ning as long as he stays with the national team.
Lin dan after defeating marc zweibler: "If you just looked at the points, you may find it easy to win. But in fact, it was very difficult in process as the opponent put his best efforts in," said Lin Dan, who has win all the major titles including two-time grand-slam triumph. "I cannot be relaxed for each singe point. Instead, I need to perform in 100% form. The competition in our team is very fierce as there are many good young players. I need to convince everyone that I'm Ok to continue,"
My sentiments too. In fact, imho,I daresay the comeback Lin Dan is no longer the Lin Dan we knew. First, he's in the twilight of his career at age past 30, now 31 coming 32. Second, even more glaring, he is not playing the kind of badminton that truly defines him, i.e. dynamic fluid attacking game, quintessential, but instead has changed his style completely to a rallying stroke play (whether in speed and power, in attack and defence, he is at least a cut below his best). Since his final comeback in 2014, he has suffered five defeats - once to JOJ when he was still rusty, no worry; once to K Srikanth when he was carrying an injury in the final 5th match,again no worry; once to Tommy Sugiarto when he has more or less recovered though not fully match fit but it was unexpected, so I find it a bit worrying; twice to Chen Long, the second time at the MAS Open final, that's is worrying as I felt he was well and truly beaten as he was in relatively good condition and obviously tried hard to avenge his previous loss to Chen Long. So, in conclusion, from now on, I'd say Lin Dan is at his most vulnerable, beatable, as never before in his entire career since his heydays from 2008 (2007, maybe) to 2012 LOG. In other words, the next few years is the best and only time for anyone to take the odd match from him; Chen Long has done it twice, I don't see why LCW cannot do it once, it's a question of when, not if, as I see it. However, Lin Dan being Lin Dan, we may never know what he is up to but for sure we know what he is capable of as nobody else could, if I may put it this way. We'll see.
we saw a distinctive change in style from LD after 2012. switching from a all out power player into a rallying, control player (a very good one at that) but even so, he kept his speed and form. but this time he seems to have deteriorated even more. he looked like he was struggling to retrieve some of the shots from JoJ, esp the net shots. his upper body dipped lower and seems less stable and control as before. maybe it is just the start of the tournament, we will see if this persists. on the other hand, LCW seems rather comfortable against LDW. LDW was fast and LCW was just an edge faster and sharper. LCW hasn't change his style much. unless LD is a really big actor, i think the next encounter between the two LCW will have an upper edge.
