He has won gold at the Olympics, World Cup and European Championships. Countless medals. And constantly chasing to get better.
But that does not mean that from day one it has been easy for the Danish badminton star Viktor Axelsen. He says this openly in a long post he has shared on Twitter and Facebook.
‘This is probably not the first time you’ve heard others say that comparing yourself to others can ruin your mental health. I only share this because I hope my story and thoughts on this can help other young athletes around the world. ‘
This is how the Danish Olympic gold medalist begins the personal story. In the post, Viktor Axelsen tells how he really got attention when he won the World Cup for juniors when he was 16 years old. With the attention also came comments about him and his game, and some of them hit him, he explains.
Some of what he heard most about was his physique. He was ‘too tall and thin’, were some of the comments about Axelsen, who at that time had not finished growing. As a 17-year-old, he measured 1.90, and it frustrated him when he tried to learn from some of the players he himself looked up to in terms of playing style because he himself was far taller than them.
‘When things didn’t go my way to training or tournaments, the negativity grew inside me and I blamed my physique. I was probably too tall and too heavy. I spent countless hours reading and trying to find new diets, so I could lose weight and become more agile and strong, so that my movements could become more smooth, ‘says Axelsen.
But in fact, it all had the opposite effect.
‘I got so thin at one point that I had no energy after training and my performance suffered from it. I thought it would improve my game if I got lighter. That was certainly not the case. The problem was that I was so stubborn that it took me a long time to realize, I ruined it for myself, ‘explains the Danish star.
Today, the situation is completely different. Instead of thinking negatively about his body, Viktor Axelsen instead uses his height as an advantage, while always trying to improve the small weaknesses.
For him today, it is about being healthy and fit, and Axelsen emphasizes that he has shared the story to remind people that one should not compare oneself too much with others and not let other people’s opinions influence one too much.
And one can also say to that extent that Viktor Axelsen today has many strengths. In March 2020, he won the All England. In 2021, the 28-year-old star won, among other things, Olympic gold, the Danish Open and the Indonesian Open, he was named the world’s best badminton player and strode to the top of the world rankings.
He is also nominated for BT Gold of the Year, and in that connection you can read BT’s interview with him here.
