Featured Image: Anthony Stanley
The four legends of badminton Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan, Peter Gade and Taufik Hidayat are some of the biggest names of the last generation. Their successes have been so influential in Badminton that Yonex has chosen to ask them to spearhead their legends tour initiative. Legend is a well-deserved title for these four players.
Why did they stand out?
It’s not necessarily the successes on court that make them legends. It’s how they play, the natural rivalries that occurred between them, their charisma and the drama surrounding them. They brought a new dimension to the game that other players of the time couldn’t match. Each had individual qualities which defined their style of play. These resonated with badminton fans. Of course this did not mean they won every single match but certainly created a view on how the game can be played.
Lin Dan
Lin Dan arguably tops the four legends of badminton and is considered to be the greatest singles player of all time. His achievements over his career make for a plethora of accolades. These included two Olympic Gold medals in successive games, five World Championship gold medals and four Asian Games gold medals. This is on top of winning pretty much every other tournament on the circuit.
His dynamic attacking play in his youth was almost unparalleled. The 2008 Olympic final against Lee Chong Wei highlighted this, where his speed and defence were on another level. He had intense rivalries with Lee Chong Wei in his maturing years and Taufik in his younger years. Matches involving these players really captivated the crowds when either of those two pairs stepped onto court. His natural charisma paired with his ability to win big titles has put his name in the history books. His achievements have earned him the nickname Super Dan.
Lee Chong Wei
Winning the most Superseries titles of any player (including doubles players) is a monumental achievement. The big titles may have eluded him such as the Olympics and World Championships. However, his ability on the court could never be questioned. In his youth, he was a more passive player. Relying on his solid defence and amazing court coverage to wear down opponents.
As he matured his game became more attacking focused on taking the initiative. Developing his game to finish rally’s rather than draw the opponents into error. His biggest rival Lin Dan, in the height of their abilities, were both were as good as each other. This was evident in the world championships 2011 final. The fact at his age now he is still competing in tournaments and winning or at least making quarterfinals proves his passion and commitment to his sport.
Taufik Hidayat
He was often associated with one particular attribute which
His heated rivalry with Lin Dan fueled a lot of media and speculation, particularly when the Chinese coaches said he was past his prime. Then for him to prove them wrong by winning the World Championship in 2005 Vs Lin Dan showed his true character and
Peter Gade
The deceptive maestro. Peter Gade may not have had the speed as some of the players above, but he certainly knew how to slow them down. His wristy deceptions caught out opponents and often won him points outright. This type of play captivates the minds of badminton fans, more so than powerful smashes or delicate netplay. There’s something about completely fooling your opponent and sending them the other way which is so satisfying.
Peter Gade pioneered the movement of players wanting to develop a similar style. Winning the All England against a young Taufik was perhaps his career highlight among a number of other Superseries and World Championship medals. He has also proven his prowess as a coach holding, until recently, the position of Performance Director of Badminton France.
As with all careers in sports all four legends of badminton have now retired, but all are still involved in badminton in one way or another!
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