Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen mentioned he “felt just like the king of the court docket” after retaining his Olympic badminton title in entrance of his nation’s monarch in Paris on Monday. Backed by a vocal crowd at La Chapelle Area and watched by Denmark’s King Frederik X, Axelsen demolished world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-11, 21-11 in 52 minutes. The lanky Dane grew to become the primary man to retain his Olympic males’s singles title since Chinese language nice Lin Dan, who received in 2008 and 2012.
Axelsen mentioned profitable in Paris meant greater than his first gold in Tokyo, the place he clinched the title in a largely empty venue due to Covid restrictions. “This sense proper now means further to me as a result of my spouse and our two daughters had been within the stands,” mentioned the 30-year-old.
“I’m so proud that I’ve carried out in entrance of the king of Denmark. I am simply on the moon proper now. At the moment I felt just like the king of the court docket,” he added.
Axelsen additionally received bronze on the 2016 Rio Video games, giving him an even bigger haul of Olympic medals than the legendary Lin.
The Dane brushed apart options that he had reached the identical degree because the Chinese language participant, calling him the best of all time.
“For me he’s the GOAT and I am simply very completely happy and proud to be, in Olympic phrases, on the identical degree,” Axlesen mentioned of Lin, who was additionally current within the area. “However in my eyes, he stands as the most effective ever.”
Thai breakthrough
Kunlavut’s silver was Thailand’s first-ever Olympic medal in badminton. It was additionally their first medal of the Paris Video games.
Kunlavut, who was seeded eight to Axelsen’s two, mentioned the Dane was “very tough to play towards”. “Every little thing he does is superb, however for me it is OK,” mentioned the 23-year-old.
“It is my first time on the Olympics and I obtained to the ultimate, so I am very completely happy.”
Kunlavut made a great begin however Axelsen quickly settled into his rhythm and constructed up a commanding lead within the first recreation. He closed it out in 24 minutes, elevating his hand in apology after profitable the sport with a shot that hit the web tape and flopped over.
Axelsen was once more unstoppable within the second recreation, unleashing the complete pressure of his 6ft 4in (1m94) body to rain down smashes.
After clinching the title, he grabbed a Danish flag and tore across the area. “To be trustworthy I did not even understand how I wish to have fun after I received as a result of I used to be so centered on profitable,” mentioned Axelsen.
“I used to be so centered on being calm and enjoying the proper pictures.”
Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia took bronze after beating India’s Lakshya Sen 13-21, 21-16, 21-11. China topped the badminton medals desk for a seventh straight Olympics, profitable golds within the blended and ladies’s doubles.
Taiwan received males’s doubles and South Korea’s An Se-young took gold in girls’s singles.
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