User with non badminton related uneducated replies, personal and rude family member attacks will go with the rest in my ignore lists
It takes being a player himself to know who is his biggest threat to that gold, the same apply to all 3 players, plus the 4th VA. All these SS, SSP are past events, it is like league games, now these players get into the playoff where the knock-out stage starts. Win 5 games and you get the gold. Lose 1 game and you are out. Based on recent performances, LCW has the edge but a very small margin. If all 3 players get into SF, LD has the toughest path to gold, he prolly has to beat both.
Very good comment about LD having to defeat both LCW and CL. Remains to know who will be lucky, CL or LCW?
We'll see, wont we? I have to say after seeing that BAC match I have no idea who will win anymore. Could got either way, and then there's still CL (or the Danes...?)....unlike the last OG, where you be almost certain who would be in the Final (with LCW either dropping out in groups due to the injury or making it all the way), this time the waters are less clear. Would be crazy to have the same 3 winning the medals again, only thing missing would be Lee Hyun Il placing unlucky 4th
d If all 3 make it to SF and LD is pitted with CL in one SF, it will be very interesting indeed. Here we have 2 teammates who prolly know each other very well (even though it has been said that both don't train together and actually avoid playing each other as much as possible). And LCW who is currently at great form and confidence, focus on OLY preparation and calm attitude (no rushing, no panic), and is equal or even slightly playing better than both CHN players. If LD has to play both to win gold, that is not easy and breezy If we have to pick and guess the winner right now, without knowing the draw, I bet LD, call it a blind bet or in stock, speculative investing. If we know which side is LD on, then my bet goes to the player (CL or LCW) alone in his half.
A few months back, I've locked a bet against Chen Long on LD's dream to gold hattrick with my badminton buddy, a high end badminton racket of our choice. If anyone here interested to place on LCW, more than welcome to be my guess. Wanna bet?
Or both....seriously, I would not lessen LCW winning gold...this time LCW is a lot more confident. As for betting a high end racket, I use low end APAC so I pass on the bet, then again how to collect the bet from you if I win, vice versa
It's actually very simple as I've done it before. ID verification (photo of driver's license or ID) with your address to where you want the racket to be sent and e-banking or e-remit say $250-300 to third party (only mods or highly reputable users). Third party bookies lock in the bet money and keep 10-20% as commission fee and they will buy the rackets of winner's choice via Sunrise Click, E-bay, Amazon, Blibli or any website of winner's choice sent to address on ID and refund the winner's bet after commission. Last time I did it was only clicks away on my tablet or smartphone.
What racket would you buy that costs $250-300? Or is it some non-US $$$ you're talking about? I think you can get all top rackets for $150-175 here in Denmark - I'd expect that you could get them cheaper in Asia (where you have lower costs of transportation and VAT, and a higher number of rackets sold).
You're right Sunrise Click price rackets around that with free shipping too. I wasn't sure about player's special edition rackets' pricing so I roughly rounded it up.
Anyway, this being the Lin Dan thread, perhaps we should get back on topic.... I feel that Lin Dan is going to be exactly where he wanted to be for the Olympics. If you scroll back som 50-100 pages (I'd be happy to throw in a link), this was exactly what I predicted back then. That was at a time where even some of the "Chinese Ministers of Information" were starting to air their doubts. (This is my way of saying "I told you so"). Oh he didn't play, he looked unfocussed, he didn't have the killer instinct, he never attacked and smashed anymore, he played prolonged games against less stellar opponents, he lost matches and withdrew from tournaments.... All of that - but only one goal: The OG16 Gold Medal. All he needed from the last year of tournament play, was to become top-2 of the Chinese MS (in order to get picked), and then to become top-4 in time for the OG seeds (in order to avoid the other until the semis). Check! Same is of course true for LCW (who was of course forced out for a longer period for other reasons). I think his non-voluntary break from tournaments have actually helped him get to where he is now, in preparation for the OG. His "problem" (IMHO) has been that he has simply played too much taking on the "win-it-all" approach, not peeking or being able to perform those extra 10% when it really counted in the big ones. The past year he was forced to rethink his approach. Chen Long I'm not so sure about - I don't know if he has limited himself and focused solely on OG like the others. I'm also afraid that the other guys are starting to "read him" well, and will know exactly how to play him this time - because I don't think he'll be able to adjust his game too much. In particular I feel that LD will have a huge edge on CL for that reason, if they face each other. The Danes will also be there. Injuries and sickness more or less dictated JOJ's preparation for the OG - he has not have much of a choice, but he seems to slowly build up for a peek at the right time as well. VA, well, he seemed to be on his way to a peek also, really showing some new level and aspects of his game around the TC, but then got sick and had to withdraw from the following tournaments. I don't think he was so ill that it will hurt his chances - it was not like JOJ's dengi fever where he lost 20-25 lbs and was hospitalized for several weeks. So I think this OG will be fantastic, with 4, maybe 5 (depending on CL), players at the top of their game. Then there will be a lot of outsiders pushing their luck - I don't think anyone of them stands a snowball's chance in hell, to reach the final. My prediction is that Lin Dan is going top two. I hope to see a Dane in the final as well. But I think it really it's anyone's guess.
Personally I think a LD vs LCW semifinal would really put into question the legitimacy of the other finalist. I really, really hope they're going to be in different halves of the draw. I have to say, having written off LD previously, it's really hard to gauge him now. He isn't as fast as he used to be in 2012, but he still is one of the outstanding readers of the game and of his opponents. Him and LCW meeting has a whole other set of rules to it than if those two play anyone else, they know each other pretty much inside out and their games are much more likely to be decided by mental games (or a huge gap in athleticism) than anything else, which plays into LD's hand. I have the feeling that LD is more vulnerable to other opponents (VA, JOJ) than LCW, but LCW is more likely to stutter when he meets LD or CL. It's just my personal feeling on the matter though I am certainly rooting for a third LD/LCW final. It would be a fitting conclusion to their year-long rivalry!
Cannot agree with you more. Well said. Oh, BTW, have you been reading my posts, seems like you are echoing my words....LOL How I wish Kento is there, that would be an excellent OLY...
Agree with you too on your write-up re LD above. LD goal is OLY, that is it. I agree with you the Danes can trouble LD, and VA is the dark horse out of the trio, if he peaks and controls his emotion, stay focus, he can surprise everyone. His height is a huge factor here, those jump shots are deadly. Count me in for a 3rd OLY meeting between these 2 'friends'.
