26-year-old Viktor Axelsen isn’t essentially the most proficient participant to come back out of Denmark. He’s undoubtedly not one of the constant gamers on the tour, and never a serial winner for certain. However when alternative has offered itself, he has been sensible sufficient to take benefit and that is exactly what makes him essentially the most profitable of Danish gamers throughout generations.
By Bikash Mohapatra. Pictures: Badmintonphoto
Is Viktor Axelsen one of the dominating gamers within the historical past of badminton?
Is he among the many most profitable gamers?
Is he Denmark’s finest participant ever?
The above questions could both be answered within the unfavorable or with a certain quantity of hesitation, or somewhat a scarcity of conviction. Nevertheless, if we ask who’s Denmark most profitable participant by way of the sheer selection by way of achievements there wouldn’t be an iota of doubt as regards the reply.
Axelsen is the unanimous winner on this case, neither as a result of he’s essentially the most dominant participant to come back out of Denmark nor as a result of he’s essentially the most constant. What makes the 26-year-old the clear-cut, most profitable is the truth that he has essentially the most full trophy cupboard amongst all Danish gamers throughout generations.
In a sport dominated by Asian nations like China, Korea, Indonesia and Japan, Denmark is a basic case of David taking over the Goliath (on this case Goliaths). A rustic of roughly six million folks, Denmark has, during the last 9 a long time or so, by some means managed to punch above its weight and has constantly challenged the Asian powerhouses.
Whereas on the one hand the nation has produced legendary gamers like Erland Kops, Svend Pri, Fleming Delfs, Morten Frost (pictured left, with Kenneth Jonassen), and Poul-Erik Hoyer, to call a couple of, the outcomes haven’t been commensurate to the expertise at disposal. There have been few success tales over time however general it has been extra heartbreaks for the Danes than moments of celebration.
They’ve been a reliable badminton nation alright, however when it comes right down to consistency of outcomes, Denmark has largely been on the receiving finish. The nation’s gamers have most of the time flattered to deceive on the recreation’s largest stage, in flagship tournaments just like the Olympics, the World Championships and the World Tour Finals or for that matter the Thomas Cup.
Beating a slew of Asian gamers to win a event is a tricky ask. The choice is to benefit from the few events when the Asians fumble. It’s right here that Denmark has did not make it rely. The issue with many Danish gamers has been the truth that most of them have did not convert their possibilities, after having labored so arduous to create them within the first place. It’s this failure that has disadvantaged them of these career-defining moments.
Frost, for example, gained all the main tournaments throughout his time save essentially the most coveted of all of them. The fitting-hander had two possibilities to win the World Championships. He fluffed them each. Han Jian bested him within the 1985 closing, held in Calgary (Canada), and two years later in Beijing, Frost got here up brief towards one other Chinese language opponent, Yang Yang. In truth, following his defeat in Beijing, the headlines learn “the world’s best badminton participant could by no means be a world champion”. It stayed that manner.
Likewise, Peter Gade (pictured proper, with Axelsen) gained a number of Grand Prix titles, was ranked No.1 for appreciable time and was among the many world’s finest gamers for greater than a decade. Nevertheless, the size of his profession however Gade might by no means win both of the sport’s largest prizes, the Olympics or the World Championships. Regardless of representing Denmark in as many as 4 Olympic Video games, a medal remained elusive.
Gade gained 5 medals on the World Championships, though none of them was gold. His finest shot on the title got here within the 2001 version in Seville, however he couldn’t get previous Indonesia’s Hendrawan within the closing.
Anders Antonsen, one of the thrilling gamers on this planet in current instances, has did not convert any of the various alternatives he has created – together with the World Championships closing in Basel final yr, and he’s nonetheless ready for that main breakthrough.
It isn’t as if all of the stalwarts from Denmark weren’t profitable in making the alternatives rely. Flemming Delfs gained all the main tournaments throughout his time, together with the inaugural World Championships in 1977. Peter Rasmussen didn’t win many titles throughout his damage inclined profession. Nevertheless, he gained one which mattered essentially the most – the World Championships in 1997.
Poul-Erik Hoyer (pictured proper, with fellow Olympic gold medallist Chen Lengthy) eased previous a clutch of Indonesian and Malaysian gamers earlier than beating China’s Dong Jiong to gold at Atlanta in 1996. The incumbent President of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) stays the lone males’s singles champion from Europe on the Olympics.
All the names above, save for Antonsen (who could have extra possibilities), additionally failed to assist Denmark win the coveted Thomas Cup – the Nordic nation having ended up because the crushed finalist on as many as eight events.
It’s on this context that Axelsen’s achievements assume better significance. When Denmark lastly gained the largest males’s group competitors, in its ninth closing look in 2016, it was Axelsen who performed a starring position, successful 5 of his six matches, together with the one within the closing towards Indonesia, when he beat Tommy Sugiarto.
The 2010 World Junior Champion – coincidentally the primary European to win a junior world singles title – has since slowly however steadily constructed on that success. On the one hand, the younger Axelsen took benefit of the decline of the Chinese language dominance within the males’s circuit – enhancing his general file towards former Olympic and World champions Lin Dan and Chen Lengthy within the course of. On the opposite, he has managed to have an higher hand over most of his contemporaries.
Whereas it is going to be an exaggeration to say Axelsen has a stranglehold over a lot of the present lot, suffice to say on a given day he’s able to beating any of them, save for one. Kento Momota (pictured left) has been the Dane’s nemesis for greater than half a decade now, a thorn in his flesh so to talk. Irrespective of how good the shape he’s in, or what he does, Axelsen has thus far did not counter the Japanese participant’s guile and fortitude.
Within the final six years Momota has dominated Axelsen, successful their final 13 matches, 5 of them being event finals – together with the Malaysia Masters this yr. He could have a psychological block whereas going through the reigning World Champion however on the similar time Axelsen deserves credit score for taking his possibilities when the Japanese is out of the image.
When Momota was suspended for playing in April 2016 he was not the dominant participant he’s now. But he had bested the Dane within the deciders at each the 2015 Superseries Finals in Dubai in addition to the 2016 India Open, the week earlier than his suspension. In Momota’s absence, Axelsen beat Lin Dan to the bronze at Rio – his first Olympic medal. Then got here the gold medal on the Superseries Finals, making him the primary singles participant from Denmark to win the year-end event in its present kind.
Whereas Momota returned from suspension in 2017, he consciously participated within the decrease rung tournaments, as a substitute of getting straight again into the grind. And Axelsen went on to win the largest title of his profession thus far, the BWF World Championships in Glasgow, beating former champions Chen Lengthy and Lin Dan in successive matches within the course of.
The now retired Malaysian legend Lee Chong Wei (pictured proper) was additionally accounted for twice, on the Japan Open Superseries after which as Axelsen was en path to a profitable title protection on the Superseries Finals. The primary of these wins propelled Axelsen to the highest of the BWF world rankings. Add the predictable success reserved for the Danes on the European Championships (particular person and group) and it appeared an ideal script.
Nevertheless, there was a twist within the story, fairly a couple of of them in reality. Recurring accidents and allergic reactions that prompted respiratory issues meant the Dane had underwhelming seasons in each 2018 and 2019. And when he did handle to string collectively a couple of wins, a rejuvenated Momota was there to stifle his possibilities – the 2018 Indonesia Open Tremendous 1000 and the 2019 All England Championships being circumstances in level.
Momota expectedly beat Axelsen to the title in Malaysia in January. Nevertheless, the Japanese met with an accident en path to the airport following his triumph, and that has saved him out since. No factors for guessing which participant has made essentially the most of this excessive profile absence.
A title protection on the Spain Masters was on anticipated traces, however what adopted was a memorable triumph. Axelsen’s finest efforts weren’t adequate to get the higher of Momota on the All England Open closing final yr. This yr the Dane hardly broke a sweat.
With the Tremendous 1000 event being the final to be performed earlier than a six-week suspension imposed by the BWF following the scourge of the Covid-19 coronavirus, Axelsen gave himself a cause to have a good time, a straight-game win over Taiwan’s Chou Tien Chen, the event’s high seed. This gave Axelsen a maiden All England title and made him the primary Dane in 21 years – after Peter Gade in 1999 – to win the boys’s singles self-discipline in Area Birmingham.
The 26-year-old had efficiently seized the chance but once more. The 2020 All England triumph is in additional methods than one the ultimate piece in Axelsen’s profession jigsaw. Collectively along with his 2017 world title, the back-to-back successes on the year-end finals, the Thomas Cup win in 2016, the bronze at Rio and the a number of success in European-level tournaments, the triumph in Birmingham means Axelsen can boast of a medal chest no different Dane or European can match. This enviable feat has been made doable as a result of the participant in query managed to grab the alternatives at his disposal. In contrast to others, he didn’t allow them to slip.
His predecessors could have been extra emphatic and constant winners, and will effectively have gained one specific event on extra events however none can boast of the range that Axelsen has managed over time. To not overlook at 26, he has his finest years forward of him.
Commentators, critics and consultants will opine sans an Olympic gold medal his assortment continues to be incomplete. Some will argue Momota is the favorite for gold at Tokyo – ought to the Olympics go forward as scheduled. Others will say if he doesn’t win the gold in Tokyo, he gained’t get one other probability – contemplating he shall be 30 by the subsequent Olympics in 2024.
That mentioned, the actual fact stays Axelsen has an Olympic medal, the colour however. Contemplating his present kind one other Olympic medal can’t be dominated out. Whether or not he goes on to win the gold or not stays to be seen. The participant can’t be judged solely on the idea of his efficiency on the quadrennial extravaganza. His general success needs to be taken under consideration.
And by that yardstick, Axelsen is already Denmark’s finest participant ever. The numerous nature of his achievements is ample testimony to this assertion.
