A Chinese badminton player named Tribute and last name Lin is considered the most likely contender to win the men's singles badminton competition at the London Summer Olympics. The sports biography of this unique athlete and his current position in the world rankings give grounds for such an assumption.
In mid-October 2012, the Chinese athlete will turn 29 years old, and by this age he has won all the highest titles that exist in the singles competitions of world badminton. His first victory at the international level ten years ago was the victory in South Korea of the tournament, which is part of the world grand prix series. In total, Lin won more than three dozen competitions in this series in his career. In 2006, the Chinese badminton player won the world championship for the first time and since then, only once, in 2010, has lost the highest world title to his rivals.
Three times an athlete from the Middle Kingdom participated in the Asian Games, which, like the Olympics, are held every four years. Considering that it is the Asian badminton players who dominate this sport, the overall level of the participants in this competition is perhaps superior to that of the Olympians. Nevertheless, the collection of awards collected by Dunham in this tournament includes three gold medals and one silver and one bronze medal.
The London Olympics is Lin Dan's third career. In 2004, he was unable to cope with the excitement and was eliminated after the first game. The next Olympic Games were held in Beijing and brought the Chinese badminton player the gold medal of this competition. The statistics of his meetings with rivals is unique - there is not a single player on the planet who would have had more victories than defeats in personal meetings with Lin. Experts consider the manner of his game to be no less unique, which allows him to deliver attacking blows from almost anywhere on the court. It is also inconvenient for the opponents that Lin Dan is left-handed.
It is noteworthy that the wife of the Chinese athlete Xie Xingfang is also among the elite of the world badminton - in addition to victories in a large number of tournaments, she twice became the world champion. At the Beijing Olympics, Lin Dan's wife won a silver medal.