Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen celebrates after winning the Olympic gold medal in men’s badminton at Paris Olympic 2024 in Paris on August 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen retained his Olympic badminton title on August 5 by demolishing Thailand’s world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in less than an hour in the men’s singles final in Paris.
Backed by a vocal crowd of Danish fans at La Chapelle Arena, the second-seeded Axelsen surged past his eighth-seeded opponent 21-11, 21-11 in 52 minutes.
The lanky Dane became the first man to retain his Olympic men’s singles title since Chinese legend Lin Dan, who won in 2008 and 2012.
After clinching the title, the 30-year-old grabbed a Danish flag and tore around the arena.
“To be honest I didn’t even know how I would like to celebrate when I won because I was so focused on winning,” said Axelsen.
“I was so focused on being calm and playing the right shots.”
Kunlavut’s silver was Thailand’s first-ever Olympic medal in badminton.
The Thai made a good start but Axelsen soon settled into his rhythm and built up a commanding lead in the first game.
He closed it out in 24 minutes, raising his hand in apology after winning the game with a shot that hit the net tape and flopped over.
Axelsen was again unstoppable in the second game, unleashing the full force of his 6ft 4in (1m94) frame to rain down smashes.
Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia took bronze after beating India’s Lakshya Sen 13-21, 21-16, 21-11.
China topped the badminton medals table for a seventh straight Olympics, winning golds in the mixed and women’s doubles.
Taiwan won men’s doubles and South Korea’s An Se-young took gold in women’s singles.