Paris: Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen successfully defended his Olympic gold medal by defeating Thailand’s world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the men’s singles badminton final in Paris on Monday.
With strong support from the crowd at La Chapelle Arena, the second-seeded Axelsen triumphed over the eighth-seeded Vitidsarn 21-11, 21-11 in just 52 minutes.
The tall Danish player became the first men’s singles to defend the men’s singles gold medal since China’s legendary Lin Dan did so in the 2008 and 2012 editions.

Kunlavut started well in the first game, but Axelsen found his rhythm and closed out the set in 24 minutes.
In the second set, Axelsen was unstoppable, attacking Kunlavut with relentless smashes to clinch the gold medal.
Earlier, Lee Zii Jia won the bronze medal in men’s singles after defeating India’s Lakshya Sen 13-21, 21-16, 21-11.
Lee Zii Jia was visibly emotional, shedding tears as he reflected on the various challenges he faced before winning the Olympic bronze medal.
This performance improved on Lee Zii Jia’s result at the Tokyo Olympics, where he reached the round of 16 before losing to China’s silver medalist Chen Long 21-8, 19-21, 5-21.
In an interview with the Malaysian media, Lee Zii Jia appeared emotional, particularly after facing numerous criticisms that did not diminish his determination to give his best in Paris.
“A lot has happened since I turned professional, and I don’t think I’ve ever cried, even though I thought about giving up badminton. I wasn’t sure if I would qualify for the Olympics or not, and my ranking dropped,” said Lee.
“This was a tough moment in my career. But now I am here, at the Olympics, reaching the semifinals and winning a bronze medal. I am very proud of myself, even though it is just a bronze medal,” added Lee.
“Despite facing a lot of criticism, I kept silent and wanted to prove myself, even if it’s just a bronze medal.”
“This is a new beginning for me to come back stronger and aim for the gold medal in Los Angeles 2028,” continued Lee.
China continued to dominate the sport of badminton for the seventh consecutive Olympics, winning gold in mixed doubles and women’s doubles.
Taiwan won the men’s doubles event, while the women’s singles gold medal was claimed by South Korea’s An Se-young.