Newsletter

Badminton: Dane Viktor Axelsen ends Chinese dynasty in men’s singles

It is the first European Olympic gold medal in men’s singles since 1996, when Denmark’s Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen, current president of the International Badminton Federation, defeated China’s Dong Jiong in Atlanta in the final.

The last three Olympic men’s singles tournaments were won by China (2016, 2012, 2008).

The best Olympic result for Axelsen, 27, was a bronze medal won in Rio in 2016.

In this final, the 2017 world champion and world no.2 was imperial, dominating his opponent from start to finish.

The Dane ended the game on his first match point, when Long dropped a shuttlecock on the line.

Viktor Axelsen could not contain his emotions after his victory.

Photo : Getty Images / Lintao Zhang

Axelsen immediately dropped his racquet and burst into tears, well aware of the historic nature of his triumph.

In addition to the 2008, 2012 and 2016 editions, China also won the men’s singles at the Sydney Games in 2000.

Indonesia for its part was titled in this event when badminton appeared at the Barcelona Games in 1992, as well as at the Athens Games in 2004.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending