'King' Axelsen emulates Lin Dan in retaining Olympic badminton crown

**PARIS:** Denmark's Viktor Axelsen retained his Olympic badminton title, defeating Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-11, 21-11 in just 52 minutes. Celebrating in front of Denmark's King Frederik X and a vocal crowd at La Chapelle Arena, Axelsen expressed immense pride, particularly as his family watched. He acknowledged the significance of winning in a full venue compared to the empty stands in Tokyo due to Covid restrictions. Axelsen now boasts a greater Olympic medal haul than Chinese legend Lin Dan, whom he still regards as the greatest of all time. Kunlavut's silver marked Thailand's first Olympic badminton medal. Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia secured bronze, and China continued their dominance in the badminton medals table.