Lin Dan Retirement 2022 — Why Did Lin Dan Retire?
If you are curious about Lin Dan Retirement 2022, you are at the right place.
Lin Dan, also known as “Super Dan” is a Chinese professional badminton player. He is a two-time Olympic champion, five-time World champion, as well as the winner of three All England Open Badminton Championships.
He has won five Olympic medals, including two golds, and is the only player to have won all nine major titles in the sport.
Lin Dan Highest Ranking
Lin Dan’s brilliant career yielded him high ranks. With an impressive record on of 662 wins—131 loses and a total of 66 titles, Lin has been dominated the world of badminton for 20 years, being rated highest early on in his career as #1 in 2004.
Other Tournaments
Other than this, he has other huge titles credited to his name, some of which are:
Lin Dan Retirement 2022
Lin Dan, one of the greatest badminton players of all time, announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 37 on July 4th, 2020.
The most appraised Chinese player made the announcement on social media, saying that he has “decided to retire from badminton after much thought and consideration.”
His goodbye remarks included, “I have been with the national team from 2000 to 2020, and it is very difficult to say goodbye,” Lin wrote on his Weibo account.
Adding onto the details, he said,
“I was not thinking of leaving and not willing to think of it. I gave my everything to this sport that I love. ‘Persevere’, I tell myself during every hard time, to let my career prolong. Compared to my younger days when I chased rankings, these (last few) years I challenged myself to the limits of a senior athlete, and living the spirit of never giving up.”
Reasons for retirement
It is a norm in the athletic sports community to retire early, generally in the late twenties or early thirties.
There are numerous reasons for that but the biggest one probably is the physical limitations related to agility as the body starts to age.
“At 37, pain and injuries no longer allow me to fight with my teammates. I have gratitude, a heavy heart and unwillingness.”
The other major factor is the emotional requirements of the relationships and family. Lin wrote about this in his retirement statement as,
“In days to come, I hope to spend more time with my family, and I will also look for a new ‘court’.”
A Late Retirement
An interesting trend seen in recent studies maintain that the mean retirement age for elite athletes is increasing. In case of Lin Dan, this is remarkably evident.
At the age of 33, he was considered fit enough to participate in another big tournament, and got to play in four international Olympic championships.
What Others Had To Say?
Being one of the most decorated players in history, Lin Dan dominated the sport for almost two decades, winning two Olympic gold medals, five World Championships and six All England titles.
This, however, made him many friends, most of which were his fellow athletes and rivals. After Lin’s announcement of his retirement, plethora of heartfelt messages were received.
“Please believe that all the laughter, tears and promises are an unforgettable diary. My greatest opponent. Proud of you.”
—Lee Chong Wei, Malaysian Badminton Player
“I cherish every chance to play Lin Dan. He’s not only an athlete, but also our big brother.”
—Chen Long, Chinese Badminton Player
“Lin Dan had an aura when he came to the court, which was totally different. No one else had that. He believed he was the best, and one could make that out from his face. I’ve been a big fan of him for that.”
—Prannoy H. S., Indian Badminton Player
The Career
Lets take a look on the early life of the great player.
Early life
Born on October 14, 1983, in Longyan, Fujian Province, Lin Dan started playing badminton at the age of five.
Early Training
Lin Dan began his training at age five, and he won the National Junior Championships when he was twelve, he was scouted by the People’s Liberation Army Sports Team after winning the National Junior Championships, and was enlisted into the Chinese National Badminton Team in 2001.
He also showed exceptional talent in big tournaments like World Junior Championships and Asian Junior Championships, and won Golds in both.
The Twenties
By 28, winning all the nine major badminton tournaments available, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, and other majors. He has accomplished this feat, which is rarely reached by anyone, male or female.
In badminton World Cups, he stood secured first twice, in the years 2005 and 2006, and got Gold Cups.
He is a 5 times World Championships winner. Apart from these, Lin Dan has scored exceptionally well in various others National Chinese and International badminton tournaments, dominating the Gold position throughout.
Olympics and other Tournaments
Lin got to participate in a total of 4 International Olympic Badminton Tournaments in the badminton Men’s Singles category. He god Gold Rank twice during these tournaments consecutively.
* Athens Olympics (2004)
* Beijing Olympics (2008)
* London Olympics (2012)
* Rio Olympics (2016)
There are also other tournaments and championships in his right worth-mentioning, but that’s not the domain of this post.
Playing Style
Lin Dan is an incredibly athletic player. He playes left-handed, often on aggressive stance.
What sets Lin Dan apart from other great players is his playing style. He has amazing stamina and reflexes, which allows him to play a very aggressive game.
His powerful strokes often catch opponents off guard and he is able to end rallies quickly with his forceful attacks.
His “trademark shot” is a leaping backhand smash, which he often uses to surprise his opponents.
In his own words,
“If you play a match, then you have to give it all to beat the opponent; there is no such thing as playing against a great or a non-great player”
Calm Attitude
Lin Dan’s biggest asset is his mental game. He is known for his calm demeanor on court, even in the most pressure-filled situations.
This allows him to stay focused and make smart decisions during rallies. His opponents often crumble under the pressure of playing against him, which gives Lin Dan a big advantage.
Talking about a match played with Lin Dan where the match instantly turned its direction in favour of Lin Dan, the young thai player Kunlavut Vitidsarn admitted Lin’s impressive ability to judge where the game is going on in these words:
“I was too desperate to win, and on every point he put me under pressure, because he is so good. His smash was very difficult to read. By the third game I was a bit tired, because I had pushed so hard in the first two games. I would like to learn his control and his attack, his half-smash, it’s so quick.”
His Playful Side
Lin Dan is known for his creative and sometimes humorous badminton videos. In one video, he pretends to be a chicken while hitting shuttlecocks over the net. In another, he shows off his skills by playing badminton with a soccer ball.
Whether he’s winning championships or making funny videos, Lin Dan always brings his unique style to the court.
Lin Dan is one of the few athletes ever to accept and academic degree as an honour which he got from Huaqiao University in China.
The Hardships
Despite his many achievements, Lin Dan’s life has been far from easy. He was born into a poor family in China and had to give up school in order to work and support his family.
Originally, his parents were inclined towards the idea of him learning to play the piano and make his mark on the hobby. Lin, however, had different leanings.
He was passionate to play badminton, and hence became a child prodigy in badminton instead of piano.
Lin has these phases of his life in his autobiography “To The End Of The World“, published in 2012.
Conclusion
Lin Dan spent a great career playing badminton. He has proved to be on of those players in the history that are era-defining for the world.
He has continuously showed an attitude of perseverance and acted as a motivation for the young athletes cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players in history.
His retirement will mark the end of an era in badminton, and he will be sorely missed by fans around the world.
Learn more about Lin Dan here.
P.S. Take this fun Quiz to find out how well you know Lin Dan, the Super Dan.
