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Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen stated he “felt just like the king of the courtroom” 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 gained in 2008 and 2012.
Axelsen stated 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 have been within the stands,” stated 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. Immediately I felt just like the king of the courtroom,” he added.
Axelsen additionally gained bronze on the 2016 Rio Video games, giving him an even bigger haul of Olympic medals than the legendary Lin.
The Dane brushed apart strategies 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 joyful and proud to be, in Olympic phrases, on the identical degree,” Axlesen stated of Lin, who was additionally current within the area. “However in my eyes, he stands as the very best 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, stated the Dane was “very troublesome to play towards”. “All the pieces he does is superb, however for me it is OK,” stated the 23-year-old.
“It is my first time on the Olympics and I received to the ultimate, so I am very joyful.”
Kunlavut made an excellent 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 online tape and flopped over.
Axelsen was once more unstoppable within the second recreation, unleashing the total 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 want to have fun after I gained as a result of I used to be so targeted on profitable,” stated Axelsen.
“I used to be so targeted on being calm and taking part in the suitable photographs.”
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 gained males’s doubles and South Korea’s An Se-young took gold in girls’s singles.
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