Lin Dan, a retired Chinese badminton player, won six All-England titles and five World Championships. Dan is wealthy and well-liked; as of 2024, his net worth is estimated to be between $30 and $50 million.
Winning two Olympic Gold medals is a significant achievement. Widely regarded as the best badminton player of all time, Lin Dan hails from Fujian, China.
Dan, a former professional Chinese badminton player, retired in July 2020.
Not to mention, he and Lee Chong Wei created the most significant era of badminton. The Lee-Lin rivalry is the biggest in badminton.
Moreover, Peter Gade gave him the nickname ‘Super Dan’, which immediately caught his fans.
In his personal life, Lin married his beautiful wife, badminton player, and partner, Xie Xingfang.
There is no such news for 2022 on the internet about the retired player, as the last post on Instagram he posted was in 2021.
A piece of new news surfaced about Pramod Bhagat wanting to emulate Lin Dan’s World Badminton Championship victory.
As we thoroughly explore Super Dan’s life, let’s examine some quick facts about him.
Lin Dan | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Lin Dan (林丹) |
| Birth Date | October 14, 1983 |
| Birth Place | Longyan, Fujian, China |
| Age | 40 Years Old |
| Nickname | Super Dan |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Education | People’s Liberation Army Sports Team |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Father’s Name | Lin Jianbin |
| Mother’s Name | Gao Xiuyu |
| Siblings | Unknown |
| Height | 5’10” (178cm) (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 70 kg (154 lb) |
| Build | Lean & Athletic |
| Shoe Size | Unknown |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Xie Xingfang |
| Children | One |
| Profession | Professional Badminton Player |
| Playing Style | Left-Handed Player |
| Coach | Xie Xuan ze |
| Highest Ranking | 1st |
| Net Worth | $30 Million – $50 Million |
| Awards And Achievements |
|
| Social Media | Instagram, Weibo |
| Merch | Yonex Voltric Badminton Racket |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Lin Dan | Early Life, Childhood & Family Background
Lin Dan was born on October 14, 1983, in Longyan, Fujian, China. He was born to his parents, Gao Xiuyu and Lin Jiabin.
Likewise, Lin’s family was a Hakka family in Shanghang County.
The Hakka or Hakka Han is a Chinese subgroup located in the Hakka-speaking provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, etc.
Furthermore, Lin’s parents wanted him to learn and play the piano while growing up. His parents desired Lin to become a pianist in the future.
However, despite their strong interest, Lin had other things in his heart.
From a very young age, Lin was interested in playing badminton. Likewise, the People’s Liberation Army Sports Team scouted Lin at age 5.
So, Lin started his journey with badminton at the mere age of 5.
As a result, Lin also became a part of the Chinese army. In addition, Lin began a strict training regimen with the Chinese national team that required immense hard work and dedication.
How Old Is Lin Dan? | Age, Height & Physical Appearance
Dan, the Olympic Champion, was born on October 14, 1983. Currently, he is 40 years old.
As Lin was born on October 21, his zodiac sign is Libra. Thus, they are those individuals who are more alive in a social setting.
So, how tall is the former world number one and Olympic gold medalist? Lin stands tall, with an outstanding height of 1.78 m.
Furthermore, Lin weighs 154 lb. Besides, with black-colored hair and eyes, Dan is one of the most handsome badminton players.
His handsome appearance has earned him popularity on and off the badminton court.
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Workout Routine
Lin Dan performs numerous exercises to maintain his shape and strength. His exercise routine starts early in the morning, and he takes a short afternoon nap to fuel his energy.
He commences his exercise plan with a short jog, stretches, Push-ups, planks, weight lifting, pushdowns, biceps, and wrist curls.
Lin Dan
Lin Dan | Professional Accomplishments
Lin’s badminton journey began at the young age of five. As mentioned, the People’s Liberation Army Sports Team scouted and selected Lin as a potential candidate.
Furthermore, Lin began to train with the Chinese army team. His first win came in his junior year.
Also, Lin was successful in winning the National Junior Championships at the young age of 12.
The Chinese National Badminton Team selected Lin as their badminton player in 2001. Moreover, Lin was 18 years old at that time.
Hence, there began the historical and monumental career of Lin Dan. Former Chinese badminton player Xia Xuanze coached Lin Dan.
Senior Chinese Career
Lin’s first-ever event was the Asian Badminton Championships in 2001. Lin was 18 years old and was heavily thrashed by fellow Chinesemen Xia Xuan ze.
Furthermore, Lin’s first career victory came at the Korean Open in 2002. Lin became victorious by defeating Korean badminton player Shon Seung-mo.
Moving forward, Lin played in several tournaments in the singles and team format for China. He participated in the 2002 Thomas Cup and helped his team reach the tournament’s semi-finals.
Furthermore, Lin lost several times in the Indonesia Open, Denmark Open, China Open, and Singapore Open. Thus, 2002 didn’t prove to have become much good for Lin Dan.
However, despite defeats and failures, Lin continued persevering and worked hard in 2004. In 2004, he ranked as the number one Badminton World Federation player.
Olympic Winnings
The 2004 Olympics were a significant setback for Lin Dan. He crashed out in the early rounds of the 2004 Olympics, as he lost to Singapore’s Ronald Susilo.
Furthermore, the 2004 Olympics defeat would only rejuvenate Lin and help him improve.
His next appearance in the Olympics saw him winning his first-ever Olympic Gold Medal. Next, Lin reached the men’s singles finals by defeating Ng Wei, Park Sung-Hwan, Peter Gade, and Chen Jin.
The Chinese player set up a dream tie against Lee Chong Wei, a prolific badminton player from Malaysia.
He defeated Lee Chong Wei in a dominating fashion and became the gold medalist. Likewise, the match between Lee and Lin sparked the greatest badminton rivalry ever, the Lee-Lin rivalry.
Furthermore, Lin also went on to win the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics. The gold medal was his second gold medal in a row.
Furthermore, Scott Evans, Taufik Hidayat, Sho Sasaki, and Lee Hyun-il were successfully beaten to reach the finals. Once again, he faced the formidable challenge of beating his rival, Lee Chong Wei.
However, this time, the match was much closer than before. After losing the first set to Lee, Lin returned strongly, winning two sets. As a result, Lin became a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
| Olympic Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gold | 2008 Beijing | Men’s singles |
| Gold | 2012 London | Men’s singles |
Lee & Lin Rivalry
Lin Dan has a historical rivalry with Malaysian badminton player Lee Chong Wei. Likewise, both players were in their prime years between 2006 and 2016.
Furthermore, Lee and Lin are credited for resurrecting the audience’s interest in badminton. In total, they have met 40 times.
Similarly, Lin has stood victorious on 28 occasions, while Lee holds 12 victories to his name.
Furthermore, they met twice in the final of the Olympic Games. Lin has stood victorious twice in the finals, securing the gold position.
Lee and Lin are incredibly successful badminton players. Lee has won an astonishing 47 Super Series titles from 2007 to 2017.
Moreover, he ranked as the number one badminton player for 349 weeks.
Then Lin won the “Super Grand Slam” at 28 by winning nine premier titles. For those unknown, Lin and Lee are military position holders in their home countries.
Awards, Highlights, And Accolades
Lin is hailed as the greatest badminton player ever; with 666 career wins and 66 singles titles wins, he holds one of the best BWF records.
Besides his Olympic winnings, Lin has won the World Championship five times.
His victories have come during the 2006 Madrid World Championships, 2007 Kuala Lumpur World Championships, 2009 World Championships, 2011 London World Championships, and 2013 Guangzhou World Championships.
Likewise, Lin has won the Badminton World Cup twice. In addition, he bagged gold in the 2005 Yiyang World Cup and 2006 World Cup.
Furthermore, Lin has stood victorious five times in the Sudirman Cup. His victories came in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2015.
Besides, Lin has also bagged the gold medal in the Thomas Cup in the men’s team competition. Moreover, Lin has four Asian Championship singles wins to his name.
Not to mention, Lin has won several junior championships. Overall, he has had one of the best badminton careers in the world.
Lin Dan was awarded the Eddie Choong Player of the year in 2006 and 2007.
Furthermore, Super Dan was also awarded the BWF Best Male Player of the year in 2008. This came after his gold medal win at the 2008 Olympics.
Likewise, Dan has also been voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 2010 Asian Games.
Not to mention, he was named China’s best male athlete of the year in 2010. He was awarded this due to his commanding badminton title wins.
Retirement
After playing in several tournaments and events, Lin Dan retired on July 4, 2020. His retirement came due to his increasing age and physical limitations.
Furthermore, Lin expressed that he didn’t feel as comfortable and swift as before. His retirement came before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Lin Dan Badminton Racket
Lin Dan used the Yonex Voltric LD Force (Matte Edition) racket. Furthermore, he has also used the Yonex Voltric Z Force 2 racket.
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Who Is Lin Dan’s Wife? | Wife & Children
So, who is the particular player married to? Lin Dan is married to his long-time partner and beautiful wife, Xie Xingfang. Furthermore, Xie Xingfang is a badminton player and former world champion.
Likewise, Xie also was the number one ranked female badminton player. Xie Xingfan was born on January 8, 1981, in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Also, she stands tall, with an exceptional height of 1.7 m. Xie plays as a right-handed player and is one of the most outstanding female badminton players.
Moreover, Xie is a beauty queen with an exceptional figure and appearance.
Lin and Xie had dated for a long time. Moreover, they have been in a relationship since 2003.
Lin and Xie had engaged in an intimate ceremony. However, Xie revealed their relationship to the public. Similarly, this upset Lin as he wanted their relationship to be private.
Furthermore, Lin and Xie married on 23 September 2012. They amazingly tied the knot at the Beijing University of Technology.
Xie and Lin had a child, born on November 5, 2016. Furthermore, the child’s name is Xiao Yu, which means ‘Little Feather.’
Lin Dan | Personal Life
Affair With Model Zhao Yaqi
Despite having a super-star status, a Weibo user caught Lin Dan cheating with Chinese model Zhao Yaqi. The Weibo user first shared the news about the affair on the Chinese micro-blogging website Weibo.
Furthermore, the news of the affair was broken by a user named ‘Detective Zhao.’
The user shared intimate pictures of Lin Dan and Zhao Yaqi. Likewise, Detective Zhao shared this news a few days after Lin’s wife, Xie, gave birth to their first child.
Furthermore, Lin admitted to the affair and didn’t make any excuses. Also, he apologized by using a statement on Weibo. The statement read in the following way.
“As a man, I won’t make any more excuse for what I have done. But my behavior has already hurt my family and I would like to apologize to them. Sorry.”
Furthermore, Zhao Yaqi also apologized in a press conference. Likewise, Xie has forgiven her husband for cheating on her.
Christian Cross Tattoo
Lin Dan is a man with several tattoos. Likewise, his tattoos hold multiple stories.
The five stars on his left arm symbolize his one Olympic win and four world championship wins accumulated in one year.
Furthermore, he has a tattoo on his upper right arm that reads “Until the end of the world,” which is the theme song of Lin’s favorite anime Slam Dunk.
Likewise, Lin has a tattoo of a cross on his left shoulder. The tattoo of the cross has stirred a lot of confusion on the internet. Many fans believe the cross symbolizes Lin’s Christian beliefs.
However, Lin has revealed that the cross tattoo was made for his Christian grandmother, who visited him frequently.
Similarly, Lin has the initials’ L.D’ and ‘F’ tattooed on his neck. Despite his world fame and contribution to Chinese Sports, he has received much criticism for his tattoos.
Master’s Degree
Alongside being a World and Olympic Champion, Lin is also a fantastic student. Lin received a Master’s degree on October 17, 2012.
Furthermore, he became the first active Chinese badminton player to receive a master’s degree.
Likewise, Lin was presented with a master’s degree at Huaqiao University.
Autobiography’ Until The End Of The World’
Noting down his life in words, Lin Dan has written an autobiography. Furthermore, the autobiography is titled ‘Until the End of the World.’
The autobiography was published after he successfully won the 2012 Olympic title at the 2012 London Olympics.
Lin Dan Meets Lionel Messi.
Dan has also met the greatest player Lionel Messi in a sporting facility. A fan posted their picture online.
#Messi trending.
Gives us reason to repost this awesome 📷 of the best sportsman on the planet…. and Lionel Messi#LinDan🇨🇳 #badminton pic.twitter.com/hmmTZbneTt— 🏆 Yonex All England Badminton Championships 🏆 (@YonexAllEngland) May 1, 2019
Likewise, Lin and Leo’s picture received comments such as ‘GOAT meets GOAT’ and ‘Two Legends in one single picture.’
Graphic Nover’ Super Dan’
Furthermore, Lin has also released a graphic novel, Super Dan. The graphic novel covers Lin’s journey in badminton as a junior player.
Furthermore, it also touches upon the rivalry between Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan.
What Is Lin Dan’s Net Worth? | Net Worth & Salary
Furthermore, he has accumulated his net worth through various winnings in badminton events. He is a two-time Olympic Champion and a five-time World Champion.
Lin Dan is the second-richest badminton player in the world. He ranks behind Thai Princess Sirivannavari in the list of richest badminton players ever.
Furthermore, Lin Dan is sponsored by the Japanese sports equipment manufacturing company Yonex.
In the meantime, he has brand deals with Oakley, Yonex, Montblanc, Pepsi, Gillette, Red Bull, Citroen, L’Oreal, Tsingtao, KFC, and other handfuls of many Chinese and western brands.
According to various online sources, Lin Dan has a net worth of $30 million- $50 million.
Lin Dan owns many luxurious cars, including Ferrari 458, a supercar worth about 4.5 million yuan. He also has BMW Z4 and a Porsche 911.
Likewise, he is involved in charitable activities as well. He makes sure to share his happiness any leisure time he gets or any moment he celebrates.
In May 2013, Lin Dan partook in a charity badminton game.
He helped a group of 41 students from ten mountainous schools in the Sichuan and Guangxi provinces during his tenure.
Trend Graph 2022
The search graph illustrated in this picture shows the popularity of Lin and how much people search for him,
and as we can see, the graph peaked in July 2022 due to his retirement anniversary.
In 2022, a piece of new news surfaced about Pramod Bhagat, a shuttler who aspires to emulate the legendary Lin Dan by winning an unprecedented five World Championship titles and topping the podium at the 2024 Paris Games.
He exclaimed, “I want to be a five-time world champion like Lin Dan in singles. So that is one of my targets, along with winning the 2024 Paralympics gold,” told Bhagat to PTI during an interview.
Trivia
- His wife had initially turned down his proposal.
- Dan committed infidelity when her wife was pregnant.
- He was a member of China’s Thomas Cup team in 2002.
- He joined the libertarian army when he was 12 years old.
- Lin only made one appearance at the Badminton Asia.
2022 Update
As we don’t have any current news regarding Lin,
View this post on Instagram
we can say that the last we heard about Lin was from his 2021 Instagram post.
Quotes
- “Even though I did not have my best performance today, I kept a good fighting spirit.”
- “I want to be the champion. I am confident I can do it.”
Does Lin Dan Use Social Media? | Social Media Presence
What social media platforms does Lin Dan use? Lin Dan is available on Instagram and the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
Furthermore, he has an Instagram account with over 86.1 K followers. Likewise, Lin loves posting pictures of him playing badminton. Similarly, Lin also promotes various brands on his Instagram page.
Lin has a massive following on Weibo. He has over 4.6 million followers on his Weibo profile. Furthermore, he uses social media platforms to communicate with his fans.
You can follow Lin through the following handles.
- @thereallindan: Instagram
View this post on Instagram
- 林丹: Weibo
FAQs
Who is Lin Dan’s wife?
Lin Dan married former female world number one badminton player Xie Xingfang in the Beijing University of Technology stadium on September 23, 2012.
Who is the best badminton player in China?
Lin, the former professional badminton player from China, is considered one of the greatest single players.
What is Lin Dan’s Career record like?
Lin Dan made a considerable career record depicting 666 wins and 128 losses in men’s singles, including his other achievements.
What happened to Lin Dan?
On July 4, 2020, Lin Dan announced his retirement, saying, “at 37, pain and injuries no longer allow me to fight with my teammates. I have gratitude, a heavy heart, and unwillingness.”
Is Lin Dan becoming a coach?
After retirement, many expected Lin Dan to be a coach; however, he stated that he wouldn’t be involved in coaching.
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