Viktor Axelsen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Viktor Axelsen |
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Axelsen in the 2018 Indonesia Masters
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| Born | 4 January 1994 Odense, Denmark |
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| Residence | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.94 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Denmark | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2010–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest Ranking | 1 (28 September 2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current Ranking | 3 (10 December 2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Viktor Axelsen (born on January 4, 1994) is a famous badminton player from Denmark. He is known as one of the greatest badminton players ever! He has won two Olympic gold medals, two World Championship titles, and four European Championship titles. He has also been ranked as the world's number one men's singles player for a very long time.
Viktor is the only non-Asian male player to win the World Championships twice (in 2017 and 2022). He also made history by winning back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2020 (Tokyo) and 2024 (Paris), after getting a bronze in 2016 (Rio). This makes him the most successful men's singles player in Olympic badminton history!
He has helped the Danish team win many European team championships. He also won the World Junior Championships in 2010, being the only non-Asian singles player to do so. Viktor has been named the BWF Male Player of the Year three times since 2020.
Contents
About Viktor Axelsen
Viktor Axelsen was born in Odense, Denmark. His parents are Henrik Axelsen and Gitte Lundager. When he was six years old, his dad introduced him to badminton at the Odense badminton club.
When he was 17, Viktor moved to Copenhagen to train with the national team. His father now works full-time as his manager. His mother owns a shop in Odense. In 2004, the Odense badminton club named him their Player of the Year.
Viktor's Badminton Journey
Starting Out: Junior Wins
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Viktor started winning big at a young age. In 2006 and 2008, he won national junior events in both singles and doubles. He also won the German Junior and European U17 Championships in 2009.
In 2010, at just sixteen, he won his first international senior title at the Cyprus International. He also became the first European player to win the World Junior Championships in boys' singles. In 2011, he won gold at the European Junior Championships.
Growing Stronger: First Big Titles
In 2012, Viktor moved to Valby, Copenhagen, to train at a top sports center. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 European Championships.
In 2014, he won his first Grand Prix title at the Swiss Open. He also earned bronze medals at the World Championships and the European Championships.
Becoming a Champion: European and Olympic Medals
In 2015, Viktor was part of the Danish team that won the European Mixed Team Championships. In 2016, he won his first European singles title at the European Championships.
He also helped the Danish team make history by winning their first-ever Thomas Cup title in 2016. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won a bronze medal.
World Number One
In 2017, Viktor won the World Championships in Glasgow. He became only the third Danish player to win this title. After this big win, he also won the Japan Open and became the world's number one player!
In 2018, he won another gold medal at the European Men's and Women's Team Badminton Championships.
Winning More Titles
In 2020, Viktor won the All England Open. He was the first European and Danish player to win the men's singles trophy there since 1999.
In 2021, he won the gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. He won without losing a single game in the whole tournament! He also won the Denmark Open and the Indonesian Open. For all his achievements, he was named the BWF Male Player of the Year.
More World Titles and Awards
Viktor started 2022 as the world's number one player. He won the All England Open again without losing a game. On April 30, he won his third European Championship title.
In August, Viktor won the World Championships for the second time. He ended 2022 with six titles and was named the BWF Male Player of the Year for the second time!
Continued Success and Challenges
In 2023, Viktor continued to dominate, winning the Malaysia Open and Indonesia Open. He also won the European Games men's singles title for the first time.
Despite some injuries, he won the Japan Open and his first China Open title. He also won the Japan Masters and his third straight World Tour Finals title, earning a record amount of prize money.
Double Olympic Gold
In 2024, Viktor won his first BWF title of the year at the Malaysia Masters. He then focused on preparing for the Olympics.
At the Paris Olympics, Viktor played amazingly. He won his second Olympic gold medal, becoming the only non-Asian badminton player and only the second men's singles player ever to win two Olympic golds!
Life Outside Badminton
Viktor speaks Danish, English, and Mandarin Chinese. He even has a Chinese name, 安賽龍 (An Sai Long).
In August 2021, Viktor moved with his family from Denmark to Dubai. He explained that moving there meant shorter travel times to most events in Asia, giving him more time to rest. Also, he has asthma and allergies, and the warmer climate in Asia is better for his health. He also wanted to spend more time with his family.
Viktor's wife, Natalia Koch Rohde, is also involved in badminton. She gave birth to their first daughter, Vega Rohde Axelsen, on October 15, 2020. Their second daughter, Aya Rohde Axelsen, was born on October 7, 2022. Natalia's father, Henrik Rohde, also helps coach Viktor.
Images for kids
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Viktor Axelsen at the 2010 Dutch Open
Achievements
Olympic Games
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Riocentro – Pavilion 4, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |  Lin Dan |
15–21, 21–10, 21–17 |  Bronze |
| 2020 | Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, Tokyo, Japan | Chen Long |
21–15, 21–12 |  Gold |
| 2024 | Porte de La Chapelle Arena, Paris, France |  Kunlavut Vitidsarn |
21–11, 21–11 | Gold |
BWF World Championships
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Ballerup Super Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Lee Chong Wei |
9–21, 7–21 |  Bronze |
| 2017 | Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland | Lin Dan |
22–20, 21–16 |  Gold |
| 2022 | Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | Kunlavut Vitidsarn |
21–5, 21–16 | Gold |
European Games
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Arena Jaskółka, Tarnów, Poland |  Christo Popov |
16–21, 21–16, 21–11 | Gold |
European Championships
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Telenor Arena, Karlskrona, Sweden |  Henri Hurskainen |
21–18, 18–21, 17–21 | Bronze |
| 2014 | Gymnastics Center, Kazan, Russia |  Jan Ø. Jørgensen |
11–21, 13–21 | Bronze |
| 2016 | Vendéspace, La Roche-sur-Yon, France | Jan Ø. Jørgensen |
21–11, 21–16 | Gold |
| 2017 | Sydbank Arena, Kolding, Denmark | Anders Antonsen |
17–21, 16–21 | Bronze |
| 2018 | Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marín, Huelva, Spain |  Rajiv Ouseph |
21–8, 21–7 | Gold |
| 2021 | Palace of Sports, Kyiv, Ukraine | Anders Antonsen |
Walkover |  Silver |
| 2022 | Polideportivo Municipal Gallur, Madrid, Spain | Anders Antonsen |
21–17, 21–15 | Gold |
| 2024 | Saarlandhalle, Saarbrücken, Germany | Toma Junior Popov |
19–21, 21–17, 9–21 | Bronze |
BWF World Junior Championships
Boys' singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Domo del Code Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico |  Kang Ji-Wook |
21–19, 21–10 | Gold |
| 2011 | Taoyuan Arena, Taoyuan City, Taipei, Taiwan | Zulfadli Zulkiffli |
18–21, 21–9, 19–21 | Silver |
European Junior Championships
Boys' singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Energia Areena, Vantaa, Finland | Rasmus Fladberg |
21–8, 17–21, 21–13 | Gold |
See also
In Spanish: Viktor Axelsen para niños
