Lin Dan on August 1, 2018 during the Badminton World Championships in Nanjing, China. / AFP / Archives
Two-time Olympic badminton champion Lin Dan, considered a living legend in his sport, announced on Saturday that he would end his career at the age of 36.
“+ Persevere +, I said to myself at every moment of suffering, so that my sports career continues,” Lin Dan explained on the Chinese social network Weibo.
“(But) my physical abilities and the pain no longer allow me to fight alongside my partners,” added the gold medalist in men’s singles at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and 2012 Olympics in London.
The one who also has five world singles titles to his list had repeatedly said he wanted to participate in the Olympics-2020 in Tokyo, postponed from July 23 to August 8, 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But the Chinese superstar, who fell back to 19th place in the world, after conquering the N.1 chair at the age of 20 in 2004, finally gave up, overcome by injuries.
The left-hander nicknamed “Super Dan” finished in fourth place at the last Olympic Games, in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, after being beaten in the semi-finals by his great Malaysian rival, Lee Chong Wei. The latter ended his career in June 2019 after suffering from cancer.
In his post on Weibo, Lin Dan paid tribute to his family, coaches, partners and supporters who “walked him through the ups and downs.”
“I have dedicated everything to this sport which I love”, he stressed.
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