To add, I noticed Lin Dan's last two matches with his fellow teammates Wang Zhenming and Tian Houwei were well-fought, credit to the latter two for pushing him hard, to my surprise. It used to be that neither of them could pose any problems to him, usually they were relatively easy or tame affairs, no suspense at all. No wonder Lin Dan the other day openly admitted it's becoming tougher for him going forward not only from the rest of the world players but also from his younger colleagues. Nowadays, whenever I watch him play, I'd always go away feeling this is not the Lin Dan I knew. Perhaps Lin Dan is reserving his best for when it really matters (WC and OG) as it is hard for him to do so time after time, realistically speaking,what with his current age and physical condition? I very much hope so.
i doubt he is as vulnerable as you say because i was there when he played vs tommy sugiarto and he looked good not great or greatest...his lost was more to his error proness and lazy style but he still made tommy look like an amateur on many occasions...as for his defeat against kidambi srikanth,i doubt this scenario will be repeated for sure....moreover,LD himself wants that third gold at rio badly and i am very sure if not for chen long,he can still win it.so he could/would/should push for an extra gear there plus his experience at that stage would definitely give him an extra edge.....i think this year's world championship will give us a fair conclusion of his at present capability.but speaking for myself,i think the current MS rankings is the true reflection of that department(except for lcw)
Should be more or less fully healed by now. He injured his knee last September, unwisely chose to play at the CHN Open in October which might have aggravated it slightly and delayed the healing process as he had to continue further treatment which also interfered with his training. Six months have past since then, his knee should be all right, it's match fitness that would require a bit more time. Remember, that knee injury was as he described the most severe in his career as he privately admitted to his mentor Tang Xianhu who wrote back to encourage him, and that handwritten letter in reply was unexpectedly revealed and read out by the interviewer/presenter during one of the TV sport programs in China.
Problem is: if his attacking game is still intact, he can't hold it back forever. There has to come a period of time before Rio, where he needs to test the waters for real and lay the cards on the table.
I'd be most glad if Lin Dan, or you, prove(s) me wrong. You have a good point there. The mystery if there's one will be solved in time to come, I'd be elated when it happens.
Today is the release of Lin dan exclusive products to the Asia countries. I Heard earliest will reach Singapore early this week thurday to friday or Monday !
Heh... We all knew that already. All you have to do is watch the difference in how LD commands himself in a press interview compared to LCW...
To my eyes, LD changed his style in 2010, or even 2009, though it was progressive. Since then, LD was prone to occasional defeats to average players. It looks like most of the fans forgot them... But when arrived the big occasions, WC or Asian Games, who had the last word? Chen Long? LCW? I hope it is still the case.
Although Lin Dan might have toned down a bit of his aggressive style around 2010 or after till 2012, he was still very much a ferocious attacking player with a tenacious defence when required, the 2008 Beijing Olympics performance was the epitome of all-out scintillating, all-guns blazing, firing on all cylinders kind of explosive badminton never before seen, totally awesome in the true sense of the word. During his peak period, he could practically win at will, not one to be beaten, invincible or nearly so if ever there is such a thing. The rarity of his defeats then can be taken as anomalies, forgettable, because unless he was having a bad day which was so seldom or he wasn't in the mood to play as when immediately after a major championship and so was willing to give it to you, there was virtually no way anyone could deny him, the more so when he's set his mind on winning it. But when we compare and contrast that period I consider his heydays, 2008 (should I say 2007 or even 2006 when he captured his first WC) to 2012 culminating in his second Olympic gold - to Lin Dan's comeback in 2014, he is simply not the Lin Dan we knew, in my humble opinion. I repeat, whether in speed and power or in attack and defence, he is at least a cut below his best. If I may put it this way, he is now at his second and sometimes third best , comparatively speaking. By changing his style of play completely, he is in my view a different player and should be regarded as such, past his prime, partly owing to age catching up as his previous fast and furious style necessitates much higher level of energy and overall fitness which only a younger man could have, naturally. I would, therefore, go so far as to say that by not playing his trademark best attacking game of yesteryear, whether by choice or otherwise, he is equivalent to giving his opponents odds or a handicap, so to speak. In other words, nowadays he is at his most vulnerable , more beatable, than ever as his recent results already indicated. To me, it' won't be the least bit surprising for Lin Dan to lose the occasional match to players he's expected to beat, from now until his eventual retirement in the future. Nevertheless, a word of caution. For all we know, Lin Dan could be hiding his defining attacking badminton for the crucial matches when it really matters to him. Because to unleash it requires a lot of high-impact energy at blistering pace, I don't expect him to sustain it throughout a major tournament but to only bring it on against certain formidable opponents and at decisive moments such as in the penultimate and final rounds of major title bouts, viz. world championships, Olympics, and possibly the Thomas and the Sudirman Cups when called-for. Whatever it is, for me personally, I am so glad Lin Dan chose not to hang up his racquet for good after the London Olympics triumph but to carry on for several more years. I trust the world of badminton is much the better and richer for it, on the whole.
Well said, it will always be too early for the ultimate rivalry between Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei to end. Their rivalry is what made both of them the mega stars they are today, and elevated the sport as a whole. Badminton is simply turned down a couple degrees without their decade long display of pulsating badminton. I'm counting on Lin Dan still being around for at least next year, I got some shoes signed. Still got to get a shirt signed , I'm simply not going to let him get off the hook wihtout signing a shirt for me.
Wish you success. Why stop at shirt? Include shorts, socks, shoes, racquet holder, if possible; get your friend(s) to help out, not easy to do it alone, higher chances that way.
Friend got his towel at All England this year. I'm counting on Lin Dan being at All England next year so I can stalk him through out He threw his racket to the crowd after his match with Kento Momota, but it missed the fans and fell back down. A photographer quickly ran over, picked up the racket and sprinted away into the back area :crying::crying::crying:. I actually got him to sign his Li-Ning olympic edition shoes. He kind of smiled at me when I handed him shoes, I guess he doesn't normally get autograph requests on shoes. He didn't have much time, so he signed it simply. It really just looks like he drew a circle on my shoes. Nonetheless, I've pretty much put the shoes on display in my room, and anyone who dares breathes on it will be murdered. AE2016 will be my quest to get him to sign something for me everyday. Until I ask him for his racket
Lin dan did not play last night, but i heard he put ice bandage on his leg, he seem that he has injury .
I wasn't sure if it's an ice bandage. But it looks like some kind of transparent plastic wrap on his knee, I thought it was his left knee. It was shown on TV very briefly, and I just manage to catch a glimpse of it.
http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2015-05-13/00107605620.shtml dated 13th May 2015 Peter Gade:" Lin Dan is The Greatest player in badminton history,bar none." Peter Gade's evaluation of Lin Dan:" He is twice Olympic gold medallist, five times world champion. In my opinion, he is the greatest player in badminton history,he is unbeatable." When a reporter threw him the question ' Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan, who is stronger?', Peter Gade practically replied without hesitation:"Personally I believe Lin Dan is even stronger." He explained:"I have played both of them many times,the feeling is very different,especially the degree of resistance (the strength of opposition), Lin Dan is one up, even better." Peter Gade further elaborated:"Technically, skill-wise, Lin Dan has no weak link; at the psychological level,he is very resolute. Even if he is occasionally obviously off form,he can still fight back, this is Lin Dan's strong determination, he never lost confidence. Great players have to be so, in my eyes,Lin Dan is omnipotent." As the saying goes, heroes cherish heroes,Peter Gade more than once told reporters that he was very grateful to Lin Dan for specially flying to Copenhagen to attend his farewell match three years ago. " This incident tells me, Lin Dan not only has excellent skills, he also possesses an outstanding personality. Let me tell you, Lin Dan is very popular with the locals in Denmark, hope he comes to Denmark more often in future." Besides declaring Lin Dan the greatest player in history, Peter Gade reminisced that defeating Lin Dan marked the high point in his career. Lin Dan has said that as an athlete it's his responsibility as part of his career to promote the sport of badminton. On this matter,Peter Gade also fully agrees:"The best players should also shoulder the largest responsibility to help the better development of the sport worldwide.Privately, Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei, Taufik Hidayat, and I always keep in touch, whether within or outside the badminton arena, we are in the process of using different ways to publicize badminton as a sport." Peter envisaged that, at present, Lin Dan and Lee CW haven't retired, perhaps after their retirement, the four of them can promote badminton together." Lin Dan let badminton become more popular, the badminton world needs the next Lin Dan , another such super idol. He is unique."
