The Danish badminton star Viktor Axelsen has had a season full of both ups and downs.
On Tuesday, he announced on his Instagram that he is withdrawing from the season finales in December due to a foot injury.
The injury requires rest to avoid long-term consequences, and the decision marks the end of his season.
Despite the cancellation, Axelsen himself is hardly disappointed by the year in which he wrote himself into history with his second Olympic gold medal.
Jim Laugesen, badminton expert at TV 2 Sport, sees the season as a clear success:
“It’s a very approved season for Viktor Axelsen. Everything was about winning the Olympics this season, because it’s the biggest thing in badminton.”
The mission was successful for Axelsen, who this summer cemented his position as one of the biggest names in the sport.
The Olympic gold was the highlight of an otherwise challenging season, where a back injury threatened to keep him out of the tournament until a few days before.
A grueling season
Although the Olympic triumph was monumental, Axelsen has not avoided bumps in the road.
His back injury led to a period of uncertainty and limited his opportunities in other tournaments.
According to Laugesen, it was clear in recent matches that Axelsen struggled with fatigue and did not reach his normal top level.
“He’s looked tired when he’s been on the pitch and it’s good for him both mentally and physically that he’s getting a break now”.
“It is also inhumane if he could drive on without a break after Olympic gold.”
With the Olympics off the calendar for the foreseeable future, Axelsen now faces a new kind of season.
According to Laugesen, he can focus on selected goals without having to worry about seeding and the world ranking.
“I expect that we will see a Viktor who bets on what he wants to win and where he has less focus on the ranking.”
