Today (April 27), the Chengdu 2024 Thomas and Uber Cup kicked off at the Chengdu High-tech Sports Center.
In the Thomas Cup match at 1 p.m., the European powerhouse Denmark played against the Algerian team. Axelsen, currently ranked No. 1 in men’s singles in the world, played as the first singles player of the Danish team and defeated his opponent 21-5, 21-6. Hammaker scored the first point for Denmark.
Axelsen
It is worth mentioning that from the moment he entered the stadium, fans kept shouting "Axelsen, come on". Axelsen expressed his gratitude in Chinese in the post-match interview, "Many Chinese fans I am very touched to cheer for me. It can be said that China is my second home, because there are so many Chinese fans supporting me, so I want to thank everyone for their support. Thank you very much. "
Feather from Europe. Men's Singles Dominant
As the most prestigious men's singles player in the world's badminton world today, Axelsen's growth rate is astonishing. In 2010, 16-year-old Axelsen won the World Youth Championship, becoming the first and currently the only European player to win this honor. In 2016, Axelsen, who had just turned 22, led the Danish team to dominate the Thomas Cup. This was also the first time a European team won the Thomas Cup. Later, he defeated Lin Dan in the Rio Olympics and won the bronze medal in his first Olympic game. In August 2017, Axelsen won the World Championship for the first time, and in October he reached the top of the world in men's singles, breaking the three-Olympic cycle monopoly of Asian players on this throne.
After a brief slump due to injury, he returned to his peak before the Tokyo Olympics. He defeated the defending champion Chen Long in the Olympic finals and won the championship without losing a game. He became the second player to win the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics after compatriot Larsson. Later, he became the second European player to dominate the badminton men's singles field in the Olympic Games. After winning the Olympics, Axelsen has become even more likely to dominate the badminton world, rarely losing in all competitions.
Axelsen in the game
Axelsen, who celebrated his 30th birthday at the beginning of this year, is already a veteran, but his competitive level has not declined. At the 2023 China Open held in September last year, Axelsen defeated Lu Guangzu and won the championship. Not only did he complete the Grand Slam of the Super 1000 series of events, he also became the first person in the history of the world badminton to gather the Olympic Games, World Championships, and year-end generals. Players who have won the finals, the All England Open, the Indonesian Open, and the China Open, the highest level of six competitions.
At the end of October last year, Axelsen also created the achievement of ranking first in the World Badminton Federation men's singles for 100 consecutive weeks. In the latest world rankings for the 16th week of 2024 announced by the Badminton World Federation on April 16, Axelsen still ranks first in the men's singles world. He leads the second-placed Chinese player Shi Yuqi (92184 points) with 98,715 points.
Axelsen in the game
At the International Badminton European Championship earlier this month, Axelsen was upset in the semi-finals. In an interview after the "stepping on the field" training on the morning of the 25th, Axelsen talked about his status. He said: "I did have some problems with my state before, but after today's training, I feel pretty good. Now all my attention is on badminton. I will train well and recover in time. In this Thomas Cup, I I hope I can perform at the highest level.”
”Chinese Level 10” powerful fan
Axelsen, whose real name is Viktor Axelsen. "Axelon" is his Chinese name, which was given by his Chinese teacher. The "An" in the name is taken from the pronunciation of his Danish surname, "Sai" means participating in the competition, and "Dragon" means that the teacher hopes that he can be as powerful as a dragon.
Many Chinese fans joked that Axelsen was "Level 10 Chinese" and could speak jingles and ancient poems better than themselves. "When I was thirteen or fourteen years old, I went to Beijing for training twice, but I couldn't communicate well with the Chinese players. This made me feel very regretful."
Axelsen shaking hands with his opponents
Axelsen believes that the life of an athlete There is always two points and one line, and the pressure of the game is also very high. Learning Chinese can distract you a little and relieve stress. Axelsen began learning Chinese at the age of 20 on the advice of a Chinese coach.
At the beginning, Axelsen found a teacher in Denmark to teach him how to write Chinese characters. With little spare time, he found a teacher in Beijing to teach him reading and speaking through the Internet.Soon, Axelsen was able to give interviews in simple Chinese, communicate with Chinese players, and post on Weibo in Chinese characters. "This gave me a lot of motivation."
In order to further improve his Chinese proficiency, Axelsen invested He has a lot of energy and doesn't forget to go to class and do his homework even between games. He also uses odd moments such as queuing and waiting for the bus to listen to Chinese podcasts. As his study progressed, the teacher began to teach him idioms and ancient Chinese proverbs, such as "Where there is a will, there is a way" and "Sail against the current, if you don't advance, you will retreat." These philosophical statements gave him an understanding of the profoundness of Chinese culture and the wisdom of the Chinese people. Feel in awe. While preparing for the Rio Olympics, he studied famous works by Mencius, which inspired him a lot when he felt stressed.
Axelsen said that with a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, learning Chinese not only helped him communicate with Chinese players, but also brought many positive impacts. He is now able to fluently conduct interviews in Chinese, interact with fans, and post holiday greeting videos on Chinese social media. During the college entrance examination and high school entrance examination, he also specially recorded videos to cheer for Chinese students. As of now, he has more than one million fans on a short video platform in China. He shares his daily life in Chinese when he has time. He is already an "Internet celebrity" who has attracted fans based on his strength.
Axelsen waved to the audience
Now, Axelsen is proficient in Chinese for interviews. Axelsen told Red Star News reporters that he has come to China many times to compete, but this is his first time in Chengdu. When asked about his first impression of Chengdu, Axelsen started to praise: "My first impression (of this city) is very good. The weather is good, the hotel is very good, and the arena is also very good." Ancelson Long also said that before he came to Chengdu, he heard that Sichuan food is a bit spicy. Although he is not very good at eating spicy food, he is very satisfied with the taste of Chengdu. "Today's breakfast was very delicious!" When
was asked what he expected from his trip to Chengdu, he said: "I know there are many giant pandas in Chengdu, right? I will go and meet them. ! I also know that Chengdu is a very beautiful city, so I am looking forward to this trip. Of course, all our attention will still be on the game!"
Axelsen also mentioned his daughter. The second daughter was a little disappointed that she couldn't come to Chengdu to watch his game. She also really wanted to come to Chengdu to see the giant pandas.
Xiang Hui, Red Star News reporter Pei Han, Zhou Yao, photojournalist, Wang Xiao
editor, Ou Peng
