Lin outduels Lee again as China completes historic clean sweep
Source: Agencies |
August 6, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Defending champion Lin Dan beat great rival Lee Chong Wei in a gripping men's final as China sealed a historic clean-sweep of all five Olympic badminton titles yesterday.
"Super Dan" battled back from a game down to win 15-21, 21-10, 21-19, adding to his list of accolades as he became the first men's singles player to win the Olympic title twice.
Shortly later, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng won the men's doubles final 21-16, 21-15 against Denmark's Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen, clinching the fifth and last title for China.
"My mind is blank right now. I am very, very happy," a joyous Lin told reporters. "This medal is confirmation of all my hard work since 2008. It is very tough being a Chinese player because we work so hard and sacrifice so much."
China's team had been rocked when women's doubles top seeds Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli were among eight players disqualified in a match-throwing scandal. But they won the women's doubles regardless, as well as the mixed doubles and the women's singles, through Li Xuerui in an all-Chinese final, to become the first country to take all five since badminton's Olympic debut in 1992.
In the men's final, Malaysian top seed Lee, who had almost missed the Games because of an ankle injury, faded a little from the middle of the second game, allowing Lin's magnificent range of strokes to flourish.
When Lee's final shot dropped long, Lin, often described as the best player in badminton history, sprinted round the stadium, ripped off his shirt and wept in celebration, saluting the crowd as he held the Chinese flag.
Meanwhile Lee cut an inconsolable figure as he sat alone on the empty court.
But there had been moments, especially when Lee was leading 18-16 in the final game, when it seemed he would sensationally avenge his defeats to Lin in the Beijing Olympic final and the world title-match in the same arena last year.
Lee claimed to have had only two weeks' training after suffering a serious ankle injury in June. But he lasted the 79-minute thriller extraordinarily well.
In the end, however, Lin was just a little mentally stronger. Lin's extravagant celebration must have accentuated the misery of Lee, who has spent 199 weeks as world No. 1, as he lost yet another major final to his career nemesis.
"Super Dan" battled back from a game down to win 15-21, 21-10, 21-19, adding to his list of accolades as he became the first men's singles player to win the Olympic title twice.
Shortly later, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng won the men's doubles final 21-16, 21-15 against Denmark's Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen, clinching the fifth and last title for China.
"My mind is blank right now. I am very, very happy," a joyous Lin told reporters. "This medal is confirmation of all my hard work since 2008. It is very tough being a Chinese player because we work so hard and sacrifice so much."
China's team had been rocked when women's doubles top seeds Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli were among eight players disqualified in a match-throwing scandal. But they won the women's doubles regardless, as well as the mixed doubles and the women's singles, through Li Xuerui in an all-Chinese final, to become the first country to take all five since badminton's Olympic debut in 1992.
In the men's final, Malaysian top seed Lee, who had almost missed the Games because of an ankle injury, faded a little from the middle of the second game, allowing Lin's magnificent range of strokes to flourish.
When Lee's final shot dropped long, Lin, often described as the best player in badminton history, sprinted round the stadium, ripped off his shirt and wept in celebration, saluting the crowd as he held the Chinese flag.
Meanwhile Lee cut an inconsolable figure as he sat alone on the empty court.
But there had been moments, especially when Lee was leading 18-16 in the final game, when it seemed he would sensationally avenge his defeats to Lin in the Beijing Olympic final and the world title-match in the same arena last year.
Lee claimed to have had only two weeks' training after suffering a serious ankle injury in June. But he lasted the 79-minute thriller extraordinarily well.
In the end, however, Lin was just a little mentally stronger. Lin's extravagant celebration must have accentuated the misery of Lee, who has spent 199 weeks as world No. 1, as he lost yet another major final to his career nemesis.
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