Viktor Axelsen, the ‘calm competitive dragon’ of Danish badminton
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Denmark's Viktor Axelsen during the 2024 All England Championships. The 30-year-old is hoping to retain his Olympic gold in Paris.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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COPENHAGEN – Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen lost his world No. 1 ranking in June after 132 weeks at the top, but the reigning Olympic badminton champion is now focused on retaining his gold medal in Paris.
The 30-year-old, a towering figure at 1.94m, says he is “slowly but surely” working his way back into form despite an ankle injury he picked up at the Singapore Open.
“You can’t think about injuries if you want to prepare well. I have good people around me and right now, my physical condition is good,” he said recently.
Such resilience is typical of Axelsen, who has the nickname “An Sai Long”, meaning calm, competitive dragon.
“I chose ‘long’ because my Chinese teacher told me that dragon is a totem that symbolises the Chinese spirit... so I named myself An Sai Long,” Axelsen once said.
In a sport dominated by players from Asia – China’s Shi Yuqi is the current No. 1 – the Dane and his compatriot Anders Antonsen, ranked fourth, are outliers.
Aged 16, Axelsen won the world junior championships in Mexico, becoming the first European to do so. He has racked up an impressive list of achievements since. In 2022, his 39-match winning streak shattered the previous record of 31 held by two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan.
To beat his own mark could be tough, however, because of age.
“We play all the time. I had the benefit of going far in loads of tournaments. I train hard and I’m 30 years old, so it’s clear that my body doesn’t recover as if I was still 16,” he said.
Axelsen, the world champion in 2017 and 2022, believes such wear and tear is the cause of his ankle issues.
Danish badminton official Jens Meibom admitted that the physical problems were “even more than in the build-up to the last Olympic Games”.
“That’s created a kind of uncertainty, but at the same time, I would also say he’s displayed a very high level this spring. He’ll be able to come back,” he said.
“Viktor is training well and he’s not had any setback, so we’re staying positive until the opposite happens.”
Axelsen has repeatedly said he is not considering retirement, with the chance to claim another Olympic title in the French capital supplying ample motivation.
He is also attuned to the power of social media and its ability to help grow badminton’s popularity, with one million followers on Instagram and Weibo accounts.
“I don’t take lightly the visibility that social networks offer me. It’s a good opportunity to introduce my sport and make a name for myself as well,” he added. AFP
