Lee Chong Wei was one of the greatest players in history and spent a record 349 weeks as world No. 1, yet the biggest titles eluded him largely because of Lin Dan. He reached three Olympic finals (2008, 2012, 2016) and four World Championship finals, losing all of them, three of those decisive defeats coming against Lin.
Yes, in terms of the speed the projectile reaches off the racket. Recorded smash speeds have exceeded 490 km/h in testing and 400 km/h in competition, faster than a tennis serve, a squash ball or a golf drive at launch. The caveat is that the shuttlecock decelerates far more rapidly than any of those, so it does not remain fast for long.
Pick two names from this sport’s all-time list. The larger number in each shared stat is highlighted.
| Stat | Lin Dan | Lee Chong Wei |
|---|
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Lee Chong Wei was one of the greatest players in history and spent a record 349 weeks as world No. 1, yet the biggest titles eluded him largely because of Lin Dan. He reached three Olympic finals (2008, 2012, 2016) and four World Championship finals, losing all of them, three of those decisive defeats coming against Lin.
Yes, in terms of the speed the projectile reaches off the racket. Recorded smash speeds have exceeded 490 km/h in testing and 400 km/h in competition, faster than a tennis serve, a squash ball or a golf drive at launch. The caveat is that the shuttlecock decelerates far more rapidly than any of those, so it does not remain fast for long.
They are badminton's major national team championships, distinct from the individual tournaments. The Thomas Cup, first held in 1948-49, is the men's world team championship, contested through ties made up of singles and doubles rubbers; Indonesia leads with a record 14 titles. The Uber Cup, launched in 1956-57, is the women's equivalent, dominated by China with a record 15 titles.
The objective is simple: hit the shuttlecock over the net and into the opponent's court so it cannot be returned, while keeping your own returns in play. Every rally ends when the shuttle touches the floor, is hit out of bounds, fails to cross the net, or a player commits a fault. Under the rally-point system, the side winning the rally scores a point and, if it lost the previous rally, also wins the serve.
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