Chinese badminton superstar Lin Dan announces retirement

中国羽毛球巨星林丹宣布退役

SHANGHAI: China's two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan, arguably the greatest badminton player of all time, announced his retirement on Saturday aged 36.

上海：周六，中国羽毛球两届奥运冠军、史上最伟大的羽毛球运动员林丹宣布退役，现年36岁。

It means that Lin, who won gold at the Beiing 2008 and London 2012 Games, will not compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which have been pushed back to next summer because of coronavirus.

这意味着曾在2008年北京奥运会和2012年伦敦奥运会上获得金牌的林丹将不会参加2020年东京奥运会。由于新冠疫情，东京奥运会已被推迟到明年夏天举行。

The end of Lin's glorious career comes just over a year after the retirement of his great rival and friend, the Malaysian star Lee Chong Wei.

林丹辉煌的职业生涯在其劲敌、好友、马来西亚羽毛球巨星李宗伟退役一年多后结束。

The duo reigned over badminton for more than a decade and have only relinquished that hold in recent years as their powers waned.

两人在羽毛球领域的霸主地位已经有10多年了，直到最近几年实力减弱，两人才隐退。

Lin, who had something of a "bad boy" reputation during his younger days and has several tattoos -- unusual for Chinese athletes -- ends with 666 singles wins and a glut of medals.

林丹在年轻的时候有“坏男孩”的名声，身上有几处纹身——这在中国运动员中是不常见的——他赢得了666场单打冠军和大量奖牌。

"My family, coaches, team-mates and fans have accompanied me through many peaks and difficult troughs," he said in a post on China's Twitter-like Weibo that quickly went viral.

他在新浪微博上写道：“我的家人、教练、队友还有球迷陪我度过了很多个巅峰时刻和艰难的低谷时期。”这条微博很快被疯传。

"Every forceful jump was a desire for victory.

“每一次奋力地跳杀都是对胜利的渴望。”

"I have dedicated everything to this sport I love."

“我把一切都献给了这项热爱的运动。”

Lee called his nemesis Lin "my greatest opponent".

李宗伟称林丹为“我最伟大的对手”。

"Please believe that the laughter, tears and all the promises are unforgettable diary entries," the 37-year-old Lee wrote on Weibo.

37岁的李宗伟在微博上写道:“请相信欢笑泪水和所有的约定 都是忘不掉的日记，我最伟大的对手。”

"Proud of you," he added.

“为你骄傲，”他补充道。

As well as the Olympic golds, Lin was also a five-time world champion and long-time world number one.

除了奥运金牌，林丹还获得五次世界冠军，长期保持世界第一排名。

He earned the nickname "Super Dan" at the peak of his career.

在其事业的巅峰时期，他获得了“超级丹”的绰号。

However, the left-hander's career has tailed off in recent years as age and injuries took their toll.

然而，由于年龄和伤病的影响，这位左手握拍球员的职业生涯在最近几年开始走下坡路。

Just last year he rebuffed claims that he was about to retire following a series of first-round exts at tournaments.

就在去年，他还断然否认了在一系列锦标赛首轮出局后即将退役的说法。

Lin always said he was determined to reach the Tokyo Olympics, but his ranking of 19 in the world and the postponement of the Games made that dream unlikely.

林丹一直说他决心参加东京奥运会，但目前他的世界排名是19，而奥运会的推迟让这个梦想变得不太可能。

At Rio 2016 Lin lost in the semi-finals to Lee in what was a rare victory for the Malaysian on the biggest stage of all.

在2016年里约热内卢奥运会上，林丹在半决赛中输给了李宗伟，在这个最大的舞台上，这对马来西亚人来说是一次罕见的胜利。

Lin said on Saturday his body would not allow him to plough on in the unlikely pursuit of a third Games gold.

林丹表示，他的身体不允许他继续追求第三枚奥运金牌。

"'Persevere', I said to myself in every moment of suffering, so that my sporting career could be prolonged," he wrote on Weibo.

他在微博上写道:““坚持”，每个煎熬的时刻我都对自己说，让自己的体育生涯可以拉得更长一些。”

"Rather than simply pursuing rankings as I did when I was younger, in these years, I have been wanting to challenge the physical limits of an 'old' athlete and practise the sporting spirit that I will never give up.

“比起年少单纯地追求名次，这些年我更想挑战一个“老”运动员的身体极限，实践永不放弃的体育精神。”

"(But) my physical abilities and pain no longer allow me to fight alongside my team-mates."

“（但是）体能和伤痛已经不再允许自己和队友并肩作战了。”

As of Saturday afternoon, a hashtag on Weibo about Lin's retirement had been read at least 51 million times and praise for him poured in.

截至周六下午，微博上有关林退役的话题已经被阅读了至少5100万次，对他赞不绝口。

Bao Chunlai, who formerly represented China in badminton, said Lin's retirement took him by surprise.

曾代表中国参加羽毛球比赛的鲍春来表示，林丹的退役让他感到意外。

"It's somewhat sudden, but understandable," he wrote on Weibo.

"The last person of that generation who persevered has also walked to the 'end'.

"My feelings are mixed. All the best, brother. The future will be better."

他在微博上写道：“有些突然，但可以理解。那一代最后一个坚持留守的人也走到了“尽头”，心情复杂，祝福兄弟，未来会更好。”

Lin's wife ie ingfang, also a former badminton world champion, wrote online: "The 20 years we have walked with each other.... will continue.

"Let us work hard together."

林丹的妻子谢杏芳也是前羽毛球世界冠军，她在网上写道:“一起走过的20年，还将继续，我们一起努力！”

Lin's reputation was badly tainted in China in 2016 after it emerged he had an affair while ie was pregnant. He apologised.

2016年，林丹在谢杏芳怀孕期间的婚外情曝光后，他在中国的声誉严重受损，事后他出面道歉。

以下是印度时报读者的评论： 译者：Jessica.Wu

Pream

Great player

林丹是一名伟大的球员

MAHENDRAN NAIR

Lin Dan is a true genius!

林丹真是个天才!

MAHENDRAN NAIR

what is wrong with you brother! we are all nationalist. my nationalism does not hesitate me to say "Lin Dan is a true genius" He is realy a Gem

我们都是民族主义者，不过我也会毫不犹豫地说“林丹是一个真正的天才”，他真是一块瑰宝！

Tom Joad

Incredible player. The best ever for sure.

不可思议的球员，绝对是有史以来最出色的羽毛球运动员。

Leon Fernandes

Indian cricketers have a lot to learn from this great sportsman.

印度板球运动员可以从这位伟大的运动员身上学习很多东西。

Sushant Agarwal

learn how to cheat your wife?

学习怎么出轨？

Alcohol Kills Ganja Chills

Thanks ndian media is full of cricket. Other sports don't ebmven exat for Indian media

印度媒体只报道板球，其他体育项目入不了他们的眼、

Sumeet

Thank you for all the memories.

谢谢你给我留下的所有回忆。

Sagar Jayanti

Great sportsman and great career. Congratulations to Lin Dan

伟大的运动员，辉煌的职业生涯，祝贺林丹

Pradeep

"Super Dan" - you will be missed by your numerous fans all over the world.

“超级丹”——世界各地的众多粉丝会怀念你的。

paarth

Count me out.

别把我算在内。

Alcohol Kills Ganja Chills

The Man who broke the dominance of Indonesians in Badminton.

Greatest player Badminton would ever see..

Lin Dan ..Followed by Lee Chong Wei and Taufiq Hidayat.

他打破了印尼羽毛球的霸主地位。

林丹是羽毛球史上最伟大的运动员，其次是李宗伟、陶菲克·希达亚特。

Rajiv Ahuja

Great sportsman

伟大的运动员

Alcohol Kills Ganja Chills

I watched his match with Lee Chong Wei in Sarawak Malaysia in 2014.

What a player and what a rivalry between these two great legends of Badminton.

2014年，我在马来西亚沙捞越观看了林丹与李宗伟的比赛。

这两位伟大的羽毛球传奇之间的比赛非常激烈!

多好的球员啊

Abhijit

He retired after being humiliated time and again with flurry of losses in first round.

他多次在首轮出局，一次次被羞辱，这才宣布退役。

suresh ramachandra

he was genius, he invented different shots. lee changwei was no where near this genius

林丹是个天才，创下了不同的打法。李宗伟远比不上这个天才

Ritesh

All the best Lin

祝林丹今后一切顺利

B S B

his days are over

他的时代结束了

Harish Iyer

I admire Lin dan' fighting spirit and achievements.my fav actor from 80s and 90s continues to be Jackie Chan.

我钦佩林丹的斗志和成就。我最喜欢的八九十年代的演员是成龙。