Jayce
Viktor Axelsen clinched his second consecutive Olympic gold medal in men’s singles badminton, defeating Thailand’s world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-11, 21-11, concluding the badminton tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday (August 5th).
After ten days of competition, the final match at the La Chapelle Arena was never in doubt, and Vitidsarn would be the first to acknowledge this.
“Viktor was incredible; it was tough to compete against him,” Vitidsarn said after winning the silver medal. “I tried, but he was just too good today.”
“Viktor is very tall. I tried to make him run, but he controlled the game.”
Under the watchful eye of King Frederick X of Denmark—who described Axelsen as “a significant asset” and “an outstanding ambassador”—Axelsen scarcely allowed Vitidsarn into the match during the entire 52 minutes.
Vitidsarn never led by more than one point in either game—and even then, it was early on—while the defending champion led by 11 points in the first game and held an insurmountable 16-3 advantage in the second game.
By this point, the countdown to Axelsen’s celebration had already begun.
“King Frederick is absolutely the king of Denmark, much better than I am in that role,” said Axelsen, who is now a three-time Olympic medalist and joins the sport’s pantheon alongside “the GOAT” Lin Dan, becoming the only men’s singles player to reclaim the gold.
“But today I felt like the king of the court. It was an absolute honor to perform in front of his majesty, and I am thrilled.”
“I am incredibly, incredibly happy right now. Winning a gold medal is a dream come true. When I won in Tokyo, I didn’t even dare to dream that I could win again. But now I stand here with my second Olympic gold.
“It’s just crazy. What a wonderful life.”
Axelsen, beaming with joy after winning the final point, ran around the court holding the Danish flag, fully engaging with the fans. This was in stark contrast to three years ago when he collapsed in front of empty seats in Tokyo’s COVID-19 bubble. Either way, Axelsen would take it.
“To be honest, when I won, I didn’t even know how to celebrate because I was so focused on winning. I was very concentrated on staying calm and playing the right shots,” said the 30-year-old, deftly sidestepping questions about Los Angeles 2028, stating it was too far ahead to consider.
“This feeling right now means the world to me because my family, my wife, and our two daughters are in the stands. The King of Denmark is also here. I am proud to perform in front of him.
“I am over the moon right now. I don’t know what to say.”
