Super Dan — two Olympic gold medals, five World Championship titles and the most complete badminton player in history.
Lin Dan was born in Longyan, Fujian, China in 1983 and is the only player to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's singles (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008), and the first player to win the Super Grand Slam — all nine major BWF titles. He won five World Championships (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013), two Olympic golds, two Asian Games golds and two Thomas Cup titles with China. His rivalry with Lee Chong Wei — which produced some of the finest individual matches in badminton history — defined the sport for a decade. He was ranked world number one for a total of 199 weeks. His aggression, power smash and court coverage were extraordinary. He was known for his fist-pumping, emotional playing style and his ability to turn losing positions around through sheer determination. He won 66 BWF Super Series titles. He represented China at five consecutive Olympic Games. He retired from international competition in 2020. He is universally regarded as the greatest male badminton player in history.
Only player to achieve Super Grand Slam in badminton
How They Played
Aggressive attacking style with exceptional court coverage and powerful smashes
Lasting Impact
Greatest men's singles badminton player of all time, first to win all 9 BWF major titles
Olympic Gold 2008 2012
He is the only player in history to have won all nine major BWF titles — the most complete achievement possible in professional badminton.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- Olympic Gold 2008 2012
- World Champion 5x
- All 9 BWF major titles (unique)