BEIJING, July 4: Legendary Chinese shuttler Lin Dan, the first men�s singles player to retain the Olympic title, on Saturday announced his retirement, bringing down curtains on a two-decade long illustrious career.
Considered as one of the greatest players in history, the two-time Olympic champion, popularly known as �Super Dan�, announced his retirement on China�s twitter-like social media Weibo.
�From 2000 to 2020, after 20 years, I have to say goodbye to the national team. It is very difficult to say it out loud,� the 36-year-old, who had claimed gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, wrote.
�Being 37 years old, my physical condition and injuries no longer allow me fight alongside my teammates. There is gratitude, reluctance and frustration. In the days to come, I hope to spend more time with my family, and I will also look for a new �competition�,� he said, according to Xinhua.
He said he dedicated everything to the sport he loved.
�After going through four Olympic cycles, I have never thought about leaving, nor would I want to think about it. �Persistence� is the word I told myself in every suffering moment in order to keep my career longer�. � PTI
