DANISA DENMARK OPEN 2019 presented by VICTOR by Badminton Denmark

Experience fairytales come true Welcome to DANISA DENMARK OPEN 2019 presented by VICTOR and welcome to Odense

Rituals and routines What to eat, what to listen to and what to do before a crucial match or performance. Get inspiration from the Danish top players

Train your brain A guide to become a mental master

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Table of Contents | EVENT MAGAZINE

Table of Contents PREFACE René Toft, President, Badminton Denmark:

Welcome to DANISA DENMARK OPEN 2019 presented by VICTOR

Peter Rahbæk Juel, Mayor of Odense:

Welcome to DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR and welcome to Odense

Erik Bresling, CEO at Danish Speciality Foods AAL DK A/S and Danish Speciality Foods CPH DK ApS Danisa:

A great welcome to this historic event in magical Odense Poul-Erik Høyer, BWF President:

13 15

President’s Message

ARTICLES

Men’s singles Women’s singles Men’s doubles Women’s doubles Mixed doubles

18 22 27 31 34

Become a mental champion

Former winners

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Preface | EVENT MAGAZINE

Welcome to DANISA DENMARK OPEN 2019 presented by VICTOR For the second time, Badminton Denmark is running a World Tour 750 Tournament. It means once more there will be badminton at top level in Odense Idrætshal with the best players of the world in all categories. Being in the qualifying period for the Olympic Games 2020 doesn’t make the tournament less interesting. This doesn’t make any difference to Badminton Denmark, though. We want to run the tournament as usually: With high quality both on courts as well as outside and around the courts. In our organization we have four main values: joy, development, experience and community. We want to have these four values in the seat of honor in all our activities. By having DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR together with VICTOR DENMARK JUNIOR TEAM presented by DANISA, VICTOR DENMARK PARA BADMINTON presented by DANISA, VICTOR DENMARK SENIOR presented by DANISA and VICTOR DENMARK JUNIOR presented by DANISA in the same week in the same area we feel we are doing a lot for our values. We can run this event – year after year – because of a fantastic good support and co-operation with Odense Municipality, Destination Fyn and Visit Odense and of course our two main sponsors Danisa and VICTOR. A great thanks to all. Welcome to all players, coaches, managers and officials. Welcome to our great, enthusiastic and engaged audience. Last but not least a great and special welcome to all the volunteers. Without you we could not run this big event year after year.

René Toft President Badminton Denmark

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Preface | EVENT MAGAZINE 11

Welcome to DANISA DENMARK OPEN

presented by VICTOR and welcome to Odense Since 2007, Odense has been home to the biggest and most important badminton tournament in Denmark. We are proud to once again host the DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR, in Odense Idrætshal. This week you can experience the best of the best, as the super stars of the world battle it out, right here in the middle of Odense. Apart from delivering world class entertainment, the tournament gives young badminton fans an opportunity to meet their idols. During the tournament, you can find your favorite athletes just strolling around our city between matches or signing autographs at the venue. These athletes are a great inspiration to many – they make it evident, that even the biggest dreams can come true if you work hard enough. DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR is a prestigious tournament, ranked on par with tournaments held in major cities like Paris, Tokyo and Fuzhou. The fact that Odense can compete with such renowned and massive cities, is a testament to the impressive work that goes into this tournament. I would like to congratulate and thank Badminton Denmark, the Badminton World Federation and the many volunteers who made it all possible. Even at the very highest level of competition, Danish athletes have shown time and time again that they can compete amongst the greatest from all over the world. And this week, we have some of the greatest athletes gathered right here in our city. We are proud to welcome every single one of them to a week of excitement and competition. One of these athletes is Odense’s own Viktor Axelsen, who was born and learned to wield a racket right here in this city. He, like many other great athletes, is a role model for many aspiring young people, in Denmark and abroad, who hope to achieve great things. The DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR is part of our effort to promote Odense as an exciting and attractive city. We have a vibrant and colorful city, and we work hard to ensure, that there is plenty to see and experience in Odense. In fact, Odense can boast of more than 75 annual festivals, ranging from smaller events like the Rosé-festival, to massive events like Tinderbox and H.C. Andersen Festivals. For more information on what to experience in our city, take a look at https://english.odense.dk/ I hope you will have a great week here in Odense, with badminton at the highest level. I also hope, that you will find time in-between matches, to explore our beautiful city, and experience everything Odense has to offer. Welcome to Odense!

Peter Rahbæk Juel Mayor Odense

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Preface | EVENT MAGAZINE 13

A great welcome to this historic event in magical Odense Since 2015, Danisa has had the great pleasure of being the official sponsor of Badminton Denmark as well as the top sponsor of this historic and legendary world-class badminton event. Each year, we experience audiences from around the globe enjoying the best badminton players on the planet give their most on the hunt for the title here in fairytale city Odense. As we see it, DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR is much more than merely a badminton event. In many ways, the second oldest international badminton tournament in the world is a fantastic show window for both Danish culture, elite sports and a healthy lifestyle. Originating in Denmark and being the leading butter cookie brand in the world, Danisa each day aims to contribute to all three of the above mentioned. Those are just some of the many reasons why Danisa has such a great commitment in the sport of badminton and in particular Badminton Denmark, who by developing world class athletes and ambassadors of the sport and country contributes to inspire people of all ages to a healthy and happy life(style). To all the volunteers, Badminton Denmark and Badminton World Federation, we wish to express our gratitude of the great work you all put into arranging this unique event year after year. I have no doubt, that this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DANISA DENMARK DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR as the many previous will be an amazing experience for both spectators, volunteers, players and everyone else involved. I wish all the players the very best of luck and I hope you all will enjoy the event.

Erik Bresling CEO at Danish Speciality Foods AAL DK A/S and Danish Speciality Foods CPH DK ApS Danisa

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Preface | EVENT MAGAZINE 15

BWF Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Message:

DANISA DENMARK OPEN 2019 presented by VICTOR The DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR has always been one of the important tournaments on the circuit. This year it will have special prominence - with the TOTAL BWF World Championships having concluded, the focus of athletes shifts towards the qualification race for the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals and Tokyo 2020. As a Super 750 event, the Denmark Open offers valuable ranking points and a total purse of US$775,000. We can therefore expect badminton of the highest intensity. Odense is one of the best locales for a badminton tournament. The audience at the DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR has always been appreciative of good badminton, and players have always felt welcome and their skills applauded, which is why it is such a popular event. I would like to express my thanks to Badminton Denmark and their team of officials and volunteers, all the technical officials, and our corporate partners and sponsors, for what promises to be an enthralling week!

Poul-Erik HĂ¸yer BWF President

VIKTOR AXELSEN MY INSIGHTS FROM THE SPORT I LOVE:

18 EVENT MAGAZINE | Men’s Singles

Vittinghus and Gemke:

Preparations and rituals before the big moments By Søren Nielsen

Ever wondered how Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus and Rasmus Gemke prepare and which “rituals” they have before a match? Don’t worry, we have asked them both for you in this article, where you, among other things, can gain an insight in what Vittinghus did when he won the Australian Open in 2016 as well as what Rasmus Gemke’s favorite clothes are for match days.

On these category-pages we take a closer look at the badminton players preparations for tournaments – for example like DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR. It can be mental as well as physical preparation, video analytics, how to eat the right things and much more in the players’ preparations. Hopefully, the insights from the Danish top players will give you some tips and tricks to use in your own match preparation.

Both Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus and Rasmus Gemke make sure to prepare thoroughly for every single match during a tournament. Like most top players, Vittinghus and Gemke study and observe their opponents before a match, to identify weaknesses or patterns that can be used to take advantage of the opposing players. The day before a match as well as in the morning on match days, they usually examine video material with the national coach. At the World Championships in august, Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus had acquired extensive insights in Chou Tien Tien’s playstyle in the final moments of his matches. - In the final moments of the second and third set, Chou Tien Tien often becomes aggressive. He tries to play closer to the

Men’s Singles | EVENT MAGAZINE 19

net and then he attacks from the backcourt. It was completely identical to what we saw on the video the day before, so I was not surprised at all, the explosive singles player explains.

water because I sweat a lot during my matches. We have some salt tablets and some energy water I consume during the day. They provide me with the energy and electrolytes that I need, he explains.

Unfortunately, the thirty-three-year-old Dane lost after putting up a close fight.

Vittinghus does not have any specific rituals.

Rasmus Gemke is used to examining videos before a match as well.

- Let us be honest. I haven’t won all my matches, so my rituals are clearly not working very well, he says.

- We always watch videos with our head coach the day before a match. I typically watch them with Kenneth Jonassen. We talk about the small details and then on the matchday we readjust the most important things, says Ramus Gemke.

However, the Dane can sometimes be slightly superstitious.

The twenty-two-year-old Dane Rasmus Gemke also has other routines. He always changes the grip of his racquet before a match. Furthermore, he prefers to wear his shirt and shorts in the same color. On match days, he tries to relax as much as possible. - On a match day I am often on Youtube trying to get my mind off the game for a couple of hours. Up until 45 minutes before my match I am calm, and I greet people I run into. But 45 minutes before a match and forward, I focus on myself and the game, tells Gemke. Another important aspect for a professional athlete is hydration. Something that Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus is particularly aware of. - It is a major focus for me to stay hydrated because I have struggled a lot with cramps. It is difficult for me to get enough

- If I play well at a tournament and I have found an excellent place to eat, then I sometimes eat at the same place continuously. I did it when I won the Australian Open in 2016. At that time, I would eat out every night at a small Asian restaurant near the hotel, says Vittinghus. Hopefully, Vittinghus knows some nice restaurants in Odense. If you see Vittinghus at a restaurant in Odense after a won match, there is a decent chance that he will be returning soon. However, in some ways Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus is different compared to many of his colleagues. Many would believe he is missing out on something during his warm-up. - I’m not listening to music when I do my warm-up. I have never done that. I prefer watching the other matches while I prepare for my own, says Vittinghus. Despite the lack of music in his pre-match preparations it will be exciting to see if Vittinghus can find his rhythm on court at DANISA DENMARK OPEN 2019 presented by VICTOR.

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22 EVENT MAGAZINE | Women’s Singles

Blichfeldt and Kjærsfeldt:

Techno songs and early mornings By Søren Nielsen

It is no secret that there is a lot of preparation for the best players in badminton before they enter the court. The two best Danish women’s singles players, Mia Blichfeldt and Line Kjærsfeldt, are no exception. Get to know what they both do to prepare for a match and which rituals they have right here. Badminton is a racquet sport characterized by a temporal structure with actions of short duration and high intensity coupled with a short resting time. It means that the players must be ready from the very first serve in a match and it often requires an early morning routine where the players must be awake quite early.

Twenty-five-year-old Line Kjærsfeldt has a clear plan which ensures that she is ready to give hundred percent on court. The plan includes the so called ‘priming’. - When it is possible, I start my priming six hours before the match. Occasionally, my priming starts a little later if my match

Women’s Singles | EVENT MAGAZINE 23 already begins at the morning. Sometimes, I have got to wait until the fitness center opens before I begin my priming. Nevertheless, my day often starts around 5 or 6 o’clock on matchdays. It has become a routine and it works for me, says Line Kjærsfeldt. In her case, the priming consists of some different things to kick-start her body. Among these things Line Kjærsfeldt mentions that she rides the exercise bike, doing some leg work and some jumps. After her body is kick-started, she begins preparing mentally. She enjoys listening to music before a match and she does a lot of scrutinizing as to learn her opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. Generally, she eats on certain times too. - Normally, I eat about three hours before my matches. I like to eat skyr (Icelandic yoghurt), yoghurt or dark bread, which I usually eat while watching other matches, says the three-time Danish national Champion. Her warm-up routine usually begins when the match before her own starts. Line Kjærsfeldt does not have any specific rituals but the warmup is almost executed the same way from time to time. Quite the contrary, Mia Blichfeldt had a lot of rituals in especially her years as youth player. - It sounds kind of weird but earlier I always went to the same toilet every time I had to pee. Sometimes I had to stand outside the door waiting for someone to finish instead of just using one of the available toilets, says the singles player who recently reached the quarterfinal in the World Championships.

- In the past, I also wrote a little paper mentioning the most important things I had to focus on in a given match. I used to carry the paper around in my bag and during breaks I would look at it if the coach wasn’t present, says the twentytwo-year-old. Now a days the Dane does not have any major rituals, because it would more likely stress her than do her any good. Like Line Kjærsfeldt, Mia Blichfeldt also primes physically. Blichfeldt likes to do some sprints and specific badminton movements to get her legs warmed up. Mentally, Mia Blichfeldt likes to visualize all the possible scenarios that can happen during a match. By doing so, it is easier for her to handle adversity throughout the game, if she experiences such. In her warm-up, she also likes to listen to music. - I hear a lot of music in my warm-up. It is always music with a high level of bass. The last song I listen to before I enter the court is a techno track named ’Mammoth’. It is very energetic, and it gives me the right feeling to go out and perform. We are excited to see if the hard work and hours of preparation will give either of two women’s singles a place in spotlight at this year’s DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR. Last year, both achieved some surprising results. Mia Blichfeldt won against three-time world champion Carolina Marin, and Line Kjærsfeldt fought her way through Aya Ohori and Beiwen Zhang. Both were beaten in three sets by the former youth world champion Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.

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Men’s Doubles | EVENT MAGAZINE 27

Kim Astrup:

- Mentally, you must be on top By Jonas Kildegaard

Badminton is not only about physical strength – it is also a mental game. Understand why and get tips to get mentally on top with Danish men’s doubles player Kim Astrup, who in his preparation for tournaments uses personal goals as motivation.

am motivated on court, everyone can see that I am fighting for victory, says Kim Astrup. But what goals are Kim Astrup setting? Actually, they can be quite immeasurable. - It can be something so simple as I must radiate energy even though I am drained or under pressure. In that way, my opponents are left wondering where they have me. Badminton is very much a mental game and you should not give your opponents the impression that you are under pressure. For example, watch Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. You cannot tell whether they are behind by 10 or in the lead by 10 points. In my opinion, you must be on top mentally to be on top in the world of badminton, says Astrup. He is one of the best men’s doubles players in the world. But he wants to become even better. Always. That is why Danish Kim Astrup is working hard every day to become the best version of himself. That includes a lot of preparation for tournaments. One of the basic parameters in the preparation for tournaments is his mental strength. To get a healthy mind, he gets help from a sports psychologist. - My sports psychologist is my sparring partner. Together we try to develop my mindset and that is very important to me. Because, for me it is crucial to make goals for the specific tournament to keep my motivation. I am not playing just to play. I play to win. Motivation is a big part of my game and when I

Even though Kim Astrup is using scientific methods to develop his mentality, there are still some things that are going to be decided by the higher powers. - I always place my bag closest to the umpire. But sometimes, if we lose weight, Anders (Skaarup, red.) and I change our bags to ‘shake up’ things. I also try to use the same toilet in the arena throughout the entire tournament, but sometimes it is simply not possible. These are my only rituals, says the highest world ranked Danish men’s doubles player. So, if you want to go with Kim Astrup’s preperation-example and be mentally on top, you must set up goals, play cool, and let the higher powers take care of a bit.

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Women’s Doubles | EVENT MAGAZINE 31

Maiken Fruergaard

uses her preparation to increase her self-confidence By Jonas Kildegaard

To Maiken Fruergaard, the time up to tournaments is vital. She uses the last couple of weeks and days to get the right mindset to tackle unforeseen challenges and to boost her self-confidence. Maiken Fruergaard wants to perform at her very best. Period. But it can be difficult when your world is turned upside down – literally. Because when she travels to the other side of the world, things can be very different than home. As an athlete, it is very important for your performance to eat the right food, not to use your thoughts on annoying issues, and to have a solid self-confidence. The former can be complicated in Asia, as you do not understand the language. Also, the ingredients are different from what you are used to. Therefore, Maiken Fruergaard always tries to prepare herself for this challenge. - There is also a lot of mentality in it. If we are going to Asia for two or three weeks, we will focus on what we can get to eat, where we can go, etc. We need to find out, if they speak English at the hotel, at the restaurants, and so on. If they cannot, we like to know in advance so that it does not disturb us, Maiken Fruergaard says. It can be annoying to spend all your time off being frustrated about this, and this is what Maiken Fruergaard tries to avoid. But sometimes it is simply impossible. - When it comes to my meals, I always follow the same routine. However, I do not eat as much rice before an Asia trip.

Otherwise, I get really tired of it. Also, there is no idea in making an OCD-diet when we do not know what meals we are presented for during tournaments in the East. Therefore, just to be prepared, I always bring some food myself, but it is mostly for lunch, Fruergaard says. She also tries to arrive at tournaments with as much self-confidence as possible. To reach a high level of self-confidence, she and her coaches try to setup the right training exercises. - On court, we do match-related exercises, or self-confidence exercises that can provide a boost. We take a look at the rival that we are going to face in the first match of the tournament. Both mentally and tactically. For example - among other things, if we meet a certain player who does something special, we set up exercises that can help us overcome his/her strength. If we get under pressure from that player, we are prepared for it and we can provide solutions to it, Maiken Fruergaard tells. At DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR Maiken Fruergaard does not have to check for English speaking hotels, restaurants or other things. Here, she only has to focus on boosting her self-confidence which hopefully will help her reach a great result together with her women’s doubles partner, Sara Thygesen.

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34 EVENT MAGAZINE | Mixed Doubles

Sara Thygesen

has everything covered in her preparation – everything but a specific pre-match-song By Jonas Kildegaard

When it comes to preparation for tournaments, Sara Thygesen is quite calm. Relaxed. She knows what to eat, which exercises to do, and how her warm-up should be. She has everything under control without being a control addict. Maybe that is why she does not panic when not having a specific song to hear prior to a match?

She seems easy in her mind when she talks about her preparation for tournaments. It is not because she does not care. She does. Very much in fact. And of course, you might think: “She

is an athlete.” But some of the elite badminton players can be very eccentric about their routine. Maybe Sara Thygesen is as well? If that is the case, she hides it well.

Mixed Doubles | EVENT MAGAZINE 35

Only one thing seems to disturb her mind when talking about the different rituals of her preparation. - When we are abroad having more tournaments in a row, our training is not very effective. It is difficult for us to “build us up”. When we travel from tournament to tournament, we never have a solid training, and therefore we do not improve physically. But if we lose our match and there is a couple of days until we move on to the next tournament, we try to keep the body going by exercising on a regular basis. For example, if we are out of a tournament Thursday or Friday, we will keep up the training to be ready for Tuesday the week after, Thygesen says. Otherwise, 28-year-old Sara Thygesen finds confidence in her regular training routine prior to tournaments. - If I have a long period of training, I try to “build up” my body, and in the week leading up to a tournament, I try to reduce the amount a little bit, having more explosive exercises instead of too heavy exercises. In this way, I have fresh legs to perform at the highest level, Thygesen says. Like in other aspects of her preparation to perform at the highest level, she knows what to do and what to eat. But it must be an adaptable diet. - I follow my diet no matter if it is five or three weeks prior to a tournament, and I eat almost the same throughout the diet. But

when I am off to tournaments and I have played two matches in one day, I do not really think about what I eat, it is just about getting some protein and carbohydrates. I just stuff myself, Sara Thygesen says with a smile. With a filled stomach she is almost ready to smash her way to victory, but she must bring the right mindset to the court as well. But how does she do that? - I do not hear a specific song like many people might do to get in the right mindset. Sometimes, I talk to the coaches and my doubles partners about what challenges to overcome in the upcoming matches, and then the excitement starts to flow as I start packing my bag and leave for the arena. The mindset comes naturally when we enter the arena, and I try to get a smile on my lips during the warm-up. Smiling helps me feel confident, Thygesen says. In other words, Sara Thygesen is not like Mia Blichfeldt who listens to ’Mammoth’ as mentioned on page 23. And this is one of the fascinating things about sports. As you may have realized throughout these five articles about the badminton players preparations for tournaments, there is not one single solution. It is individual. Hopefully, all the Danish players have had a successful preparation for DANISA DENMARK OPEN 2019 presented by VICTOR, and we are looking forward for some exciting matches on court in Odense Sports Park.

36 EVENT MAGAZINE | Guide

Become a mental champion: How to fine-tune your mental preparation

There are many ways to lose your head when you have to perform at your best. Luckily, there are also many ways you can get better at tackling those mental blocks, already ahead of a game or performance. Team Danmark’s sports psychologist Anders Bendixen, who works with several of Denmark’s top badminton players, guides you through seven good tips for optimising your mental game before a performance – on the badminton court as in life in general. By Lasse Kjær Hansen

1 BE AWARE OF THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS THAT TYPICALLY POP UP WHEN YOU NEED TO PERFORM - There are plenty of stories about athletes who put in a sublime performance despite being scared or nervous and so on. So the overall idea is not that ‘all you have to do is think positively and then you’ll perform positively’. In this case you run the risk of the negative feelings and thoughts coming as an unpleasant surprise after facing the fact that not everything you do is always positive.

- Troubling thoughts and feelings are completely natural to have when you need to perform. But rather than getting into a long, hard fight with those thoughts and feelings that show up during a badminton match for example, you can, to a certain extent, train yourself to accept them instead of letting yourself be dictated by them. - When, for example, we think, ‘oh boy, my opponent looks tough’, then we easily become preoccupied by this thought, and it quickly starts to control our behaviour. But we can also find ourselves

Guide | EVENT MAGAZINE 37

thinking: ‘I am a green rabbit’. We know full well that this is just a thought, and we don’t let it bother us. In the same way it’s about treating the negative thoughts for what they are: just thoughts or feelings. One way to train this can be through variations of mindfulness, which specifically deals with being conscious of those thoughts and feelings that pop up. You can practise this method all the time, and it can be used in many situations.

2 NEVER GO OUT ONTO THE COURT WITHOUT A CLEAR GAME PLAN - When you are under pressure, your attention is constantly being challenged by distracting thoughts and feelings. This is why it’s so important to have a clear game plan, or at least a clear point of focus that you can turn your attention back to. If you don’t have this, then your head will fill itself up with other stuff, thoughts and feelings. Your head does that all the time, and there are many breaks in badminton, where all kinds of thoughts and feelings have ample opportunity to push their way in. - You might be lucky enough for it to be the game plan that stands uppermost in your mind, but it could also be the noise from the public, a sneeze or something else. The idea is not for you to block everything out. Instead, let everything that comes into your head come, register it and then quickly return to your focus and fixed point of reference: the game plan.

3 RELATE TO WHO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU SUFFER A SETBACK - One of the minimum two players in a badminton match will automatically have to face a setback at some point in the showdown. What tends to happen is that the player who handles him- or herself best when things don’t go their way is the one who has prepared themselves for such a situation. - Here it is a good idea if you have thought through how you will react to such a setback: Will you try to score points quickly by playing aggressively or will you keep your cool because this is what you believe in? That is to say, it’s about thinking specifically about how you would like to react in the face of adversity, and how you think you should behave. It might also be that you see yourself as an adventurous person or player and faking it is your way of reacting in order to believe in yourself when you suffer a setback.

4 PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE PAIN - Pain frequently accompanies badminton matches, as you will encounter in one way or another. A long duel inevitably makes your legs ache. One good piece of advice is therefore to try to relate to the pain before it starts to hurt, as it can very easily begin to affect your behaviour. - What sometimes happens is that you hurry through the game and perhaps try to settle the score too early and too quickly in order to get the pain out of the way. This is why it is smart to have thought through how you want to respond when the pain comes, as well as generally when you have to deal with one of the tough challenges that almost always arise in a badminton match.

5 HAVE GOOD, FIXED ROUTINES ON THE DAY OF THE PERFORMANCE ITSELF - Routines give us peace of mind, and fixed routines in the period leading up to a match can give a sense of calm to our minds and bodies in relation to the situation you need to prepare for. Most players have some fairly deep-rooted routines, especially at elite level. Naturally there needs to be a certain amount of flexibility with these so they match the reality, but especially in the hours that lead up to the individual matches you play, what you do ought to fit into the same kind of routine. - All of us typically have our own, individual preferences when it comes to routines, such as a specific type of music we listen to, how long we sleep or what kind of food we like to eat just before a match.

6 BE CAREFUL AS TO WHEN YOU START PLAYING THE GAME INSIDE YOUR HEAD - If, for example, you wake up at nine o’clock in the morning knowing that your important match isn’t until the evening, then it would be best to do something else until the afternoon and try to think about other things. It can be very tiring to go around thinking too much about a crucial performance, and you risk using all your mental energy on the match inside your head and simply burning yourself out mentally before the game has even started. We sometimes hear about sportspeople who say, “I wasn’t there” and this, I think, can in many cases be put down to the fact that they simply focused mentally on the game too soon.

7 TUNE IN TO WHAT’S ABOUT TO HAPPEN - To some extent, this links in with many of the other tips, but as a sportsman or woman it’s always your job to be selective about what you give attention to. Leading up to a match, it’s also a good idea to tune into what’s about to happen and ‘disconnect’ yourself from any distracting elements. For example, a Facebook feed, with all its stimulating posts and information, can be very distracting. You might well have filled your Facebook feed up with motivational quotes and the like, but if you see that your Aunt Hilda’s dog has just been run over or that your friend’s father has just passed away, then this can quickly become something that can potentially distract your attention from the task and the goal in hand.

38 EVENT MAGAZINE |

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Former winners | EVENT MAGAZINE 39

Former Winners You can see all the previous winners since 1936 on denmarkopen.dk

2018 Odense US$ 775.000,-

2013 Odense US$ 400.000,-

MS: WS: MD: WD: XD:

Kento Momota, Japan Tai Tzu Ying, Taiwan Marcus Gideon / Kevin Sukamuljo, Indonesien Yuki Fukushima / Sayaka Hirota, Japan Zheng Siwei / Huang Yaqiong, Kina

Chen Long, China Wang Yihan, China Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon, Seong Korea Bao Yixin / Tang Jinhua, China Zahng Nan / Zhao Yunlei, China

2017 Odense US$ 750.000,-

2012 Odense US$ 400.000,-

MS: WS: MD: WD: XD:

Kidambi Srikanth, India Ratchanok Intanon, Thailand Liu Cheng / Zhang Nan, China Lee So Hee / Shin Seung Chan, Korea Tang Chun Man / Tse Ying Suet, Hong Kong

Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia Saina Nehwal, India Shin Baek-Choel / Yoo Yeon Seong, Korea Jin Ma /Jinhua Tang, China Chen Xu /Jin Ma, China

2016 Odense US$ 700.000,-

2011 Odense US$ 400.000,-

MS: WS: MD: WD: XD:

Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk, Thailand Akane Yamaguchi, Japan Goh V Shem / Tan Wee Kiong, Malaysia Misaki Matsutomo / Ayaka Takahashi, Japan Joachim Fischer / Christinna Pedersen, Denmark

Chen Long, China Xin Wang, China Jung Sung Jae / Lee Yong Dae, Korea Xiaoli Wang / Yang (F) Yu, China Joachim Fischer/Christinna Pedersen, Denmark

2015 Odense US$ 650.000,-

2010 Odense US$ 200.000,-

MS: WS: MD: WD: XD:

Chen Long, China Li Xuerui, China Lee Yong Dae / Yoo Yeon Seong, Korea Jung Kyung Eun / Shin Seung Chan, Korea Ko Sung Hyun / Kim Ha Na, Korea

Jan Ø. Jørgensen, Denmark Yihan Wang, China Mathias Boe / Carsten Mogensen, Denmark Miyuki Maeda / Satoko Suetsuna, Japan Thomas Laybourn / Kamilla Rytter Juhl, Denmark

2014 Odense US$ 600.000,-

2009 Odense US$ 200.000,-

MS: WS: MD: WD: XD:

Chen Long, China Li Xuerui, China Fu Haifeng / Zhang Nan, China Wang Xiaoli / Yu Yang, China Xu Chen / Ma Jin, China

Simon Santoso, Indonesien Tine Baun, Denmark Koo Kien Keat / Tan Boon Heong, Malaysia Pan Pan / Yawen Zhang, China Joachim Fischer / Christinna Pedersen, Denmark

Scan to see all winners from 1936 and forward.

BADMINTON Danmark

The Danish way On the heels of national head coach Kenneth Jonassen on the road to Basel 2019

Cathrine Rosengren Approaching the Paralympic dream

Hungry for more

World Championships silver medalist Anders Antonsen on his crave for trophies and delicious dinners

Indhold | BADMINTON DANMARK

Indhold ARTIKLER 6

Den skrupsultne aarhusianer

Anders Antonsen æder sig hastigt ind på verdenstoppen Anders Antonsen is ravenous as a wolf

Drømmen om de Paralympiske Lege

Vejen til VM: I hælene på cheflandstræneren

The road to the World Championships

Når stort bliver størst

The young Dane is rapidly gaining on the world top Tokyo 2020 står for døren

Kenneth Jonassen fører an

Kenneth Jonassen leads the way

Thomas og Uber Cup i støbeskeen

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BADMINTON DANMARK | Interview

Interview | BADMINTON DANMARK

Den skrupsultne aarhusianer

Anders Antonsen har sat sig godt og grundigt til rette om bordet blandt den absolutte verdenstop, og han er ikke bleg for at tage for sig af retterne på World Touren. Men den 22-årige VM-sølvvinder er skrupsulten efter mere, og appetitten tager til for hver titel og hver træning. Af Lasse Kjær Hansen

Anders Antonsen nærmest vælter fra soveværelset ud mod døren i sit hjem på Vesterbro i København. Barmavet og kun iført et par røde VICTOR-shorts fatter han i en lænende bevægelse dørhåndtaget og åbner op til sin lejlighed. - Kom inden for i rodet, siger han med lidt grødet stemme i en ikke desto mindre energisk tone, imens han kyler en hvid bomulds-t-shirt ned over hovedet og sigter videre mod køleskabet i køkkenet bag entréen. Om øjnene er han let hævet, og håret peger endnu i de retninger, som puden, han har sovet på, har bestemt. Det er fredag morgen og ikke meget mere end et kvarter siden, at mobilvækkeuret jog den unge aarhusianer op af sengen klokken lidt i otte. Han nævner det, selv om det fremgår tydeligt af hele situationen og klukler en smule af den åbenlyse erklæring. - Hvor længe er det, der er til Denmark Open?, spørger han fra køkkenet og dumper dernæst ind til spisebordet i stuen med en skål havregryn med mælk og rosiner i favnen.

Svaret på hans spørgsmål er omtrent fem uger, og det er dermed kun knap to uger siden, at den morgensultne aarhusianer vandt VM-sølv. Som den yngste danske herresingle nogensinde. Selv om den præstation alene er lig med en indskrivning i historiebøgerne, så har den ikke ændret på, at Anders Antonsen stadig begynder hver morgen med strithår, et stort glas vandhanevand og det solide Michael Laudrup-måltid placeret foran ham. - Jeg tænkte ellers, da jeg kom hjem fra Mallorca i søndags oven på en uges ferie efter VM, ”gad vide, om jeg er blevet mere kendt”, siger den unge sølvvinder, mens han kniber øjnene sammen i en skulende bevægelse og fortsætter:

- Jeg kiggede derfor også lidt ekstra på folk, som jeg gik forbi ude i byen, men alle går bare videre uden noget, griner han og fortsætter: - Det er ikke nok med sølv, tror jeg, hvis man på den måde skal bryde igennem til den gængse dansker. Jeg har fået lidt flere interviewforespørgsler og så videre, men ellers føler jeg ikke, at der er noget som helst, der har ændret sig.

Finalen fylder For Anders Antonsen selv er VM-præstationen til gengæld langsomt begyndt at sive ind. Følelsen er imidlertid ikke lutter lykke og lagkage, fortæller han. Faktisk er det mere på en nagende måde, at realiteterne indfinder sig, og for hver dag, der går, fylder navnlig finalen mere >> og mere.

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Interview | BADMINTON DANMARK

tigheden, som han kan bryste sig af og glæde sig over. VM-medaljen hænger da heller ikke alene på DM-pokalen, som har været i Antonsens varetægt siden 2017, men deler pladsen med en guldmedalje fra Indonesia Masters i januar, en guld fra EM for hold i februar, en guld fra European Games i juni og en sølv fra Indonesia Open i juli. Fælles for medaljerne er, at de alle er indhentet i 2019, som med andre ord har været et banebrydende år i Anders Antonsens badmintonkarriere. I skrivende stund ligger han nummer fire på verdensranglisten. De gradvise ryk op mod top-5 er kommet hurtigt. Hurtigere end han selv havde troet. Selv om han trods alt hele tiden har troet på det og gjort det i en sådan grad, at selve oplevelsen af det storslåede ved at stå i en VM-finale mere eller mindre udeblev.

Den kontante japanske afklapsning, som han fik af Kento Momota, skygger for hans øvrige indsats under mesterskaberne, mener han, og dermed stjæler den også en stor del af glæden ved den sølvmedalje, som ikke desto mindre hænger til pryd og pragt på den bombastiske DM-pokal, der står plantet på kommoden bag ham. - I starten irriterede det mig egentlig ikke så meget. Op til finalen og i momentet var jeg udmærket klar over, at det godt kunne blive noget rod på grund af den måde, jeg rent fysisk havde det på i min krop. Jeg vidste, at det var en mere eller mindre umulig opgave. Lige efter finalen grinede mine venner og jeg egentlig ret meget af det og lavede spas omkring det. At det var hypet helt op og på hovedkanalen og det hele, og folk var rejst til Basel for at se finalen og taggede mig i det ene og det andet post på de sociale medier. Og så bliver det bare den her kæmpe fiasko, siger han med tryk på æ’et, imens han undertrykker en latter. - Nu kan jeg godt mærke, at den finale irriterer mig mere og mere for hver dag, der går. Man kan ligesom ikke komme udenom den der finale. Hvis jeg nu havde tabt med 16 og 16, havde jeg måske

kunnet sætte mere pris på det, for så var finalen ikke så stor en del af historien. Men i fortællingen kan man bare ikke komme udenom de der 9 og 3, siger han og afbryder nærmest sig selv: - Jeg bliver nødt til at lave den der finale om. Det må ikke være dén, jeg husker bedst om 10 år. Og det, tror jeg, er det positive ved, at jeg tænker sådan, for det er mega brændstof på bålet. Jeg kan virkelig mærke, at der er en ild i mig, som brænder for at gøre det om. Og bare den næste gang, jeg skal møde Kento, glæder jeg mig sygt meget til. Det kan være, at en sejr over ham kan ændre på tingene.

Nu er det etter Foruden VM har Anders Antonsen heldigvis flere fornemme resultater på samvit-

- Det lyder så vildt at sige, ”Peter Rasmussen vandt VM”, og ”Peter Gade var i VM-finalen i 2001”, og det var jo helt sindssygt at se Viktor vinde. Når jeg har hørt om andre eller set andre, der har opnået en VM-finale, så lyder det så stort, synes jeg. Men da jeg selv stod derinde, var jeg ret loose. Det føltes slet ikke så vildt. Kenneth (Jonassen, red.) sagde til mig, at han tror, det skyldtes, at jeg har set mig selv stå i den situation og visualiseret det for mig så mange gange, at det ikke har været nogen stor overraskelse. Det, tror jeg, er rigtigt. Nu skete det jo så i virkeligheden, men jeg havde måske været derinde i mit hoved så mange gange, at det nærmest føltes, som om jeg havde været der før, siger Anders Antonsen. Hvad det næste store mål for den 22-åriges karriere skal være, er ifølge hans eget udsagn uklart. En ting er dog sikkert; for hver bid han tager af kagen, desto mere appetit får han på flere og større stykker. >>

10 BADMINTON DANMARK |

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2019 Dansk Badminton annonce.indd 1

11-09-2019 09:46:42

Interview | BADMINTON DANMARK 11 - Jeg er bare sulten nu. Helt vildt sulten. Der er ikke én ting, der peger ud, som jeg går efter specifikt. Jeg vil have det hele, og jeg har bare lyst til at komme frem i feltet i alt, jeg stiller op i. Frem til kvarten, til semi og så tage den derfra. Det kan blive meget vildere. Jeg gider jo ikke have sølvmedaljer, konstaterer den målsatte dansker med et alvorligt smil. - Lige nu ligger jeg firer i verden, siger han og afbryder sig selv med et dybt åndedrag. - Altså mit mål er jo at blive etter i verden. Det har det altid været. Jeg kan selvfølgelig godt sige, at nu er det næste at blive treer, så toer og så videre. Men de ting kigger jeg ikke så meget på mere. Nu er det ligesom etter, der er det store mål, som forhåbentlig ligger et sted ude i fremtiden.

Rutineret af nød Anders Antonsen er gået i køkkenet igen. Skålen med havregryn har han tyndet godt ud i, men han har efterladt en håndfuld flager, som ligger og suger på den sidste slat mælk. Han returnerer til stuen med to kopper kaffe. Den sorte energibryg er et fast element i hans morgenrutine og plejer

- Det er svært at forklare folk, og jeg tror faktisk kun, at det er Kenneth ( Jonassen, red.), jeg har talt med, som kan sætte sig ind i, hvad det kræver fysisk og mentalt hele tiden, hver dag, at skulle ud på et punkt, hvor man er så smadret, at det gør ondt.

at være det tidligste, han tyer til, når han stiger ud af sengen. Som regel er det første, der venter ham uden for hjemmet træning i Brøndby. Typisk enten omkring klokken otte eller klokken ti. Som et ikke udpræget morgenmenneske plejer tingene at ske hastigt, inden turen går mod elitecentret. Over det seneste års tid er morgenerne i lejligheden til gengæld blevet udvidet en smule. Han kommer selv ind på emnet, idet snakken falder på rutiner: migrænen. Den prompte hovedpine og de sværtudholdelige fysiske fornemmelser, der gjorde livet barskt for den unge badmin-

tonkomet i 2018. Selv om det i skrivende stund er over et år siden, at Anders Antonsen senest blev ramt af migrænen, sidder frygten for anfaldet stadig i ham. Derfor tager han sine forholdsregler: holder sengetiderne og forsøger ikke at kickstarte systemet for voldsomt om morgenen. - Jeg har aldrig fået migræne på den sene formiddagstræning i Brøndby, men dengang, jeg blev ramt af det, kunne det godt komme efter en tidlig træning, hvor vi havde lagt ud med engelsk double og mega høj intensitet, fordi ingen af os gider at tabe. Der bliver pulsen banket godt op, og det kunne jeg godt blive lidt svimmel af og få tunge øjne af, og nogle gange udviklede det sig så senere til migræne. Han rejser sig op fra stolen og sænker mørklægningsgardinet over det høje stuevindue ned, så der kun kommer lys ind under øjenhøjde. Umærkeligt fortsætter han. - Siden da er jeg blevet bedre til at køre en lidt længere morgen, og så kommer den der svimmelhed ikke i samme grad. Derudover er søvn virkelig vigtigt for mig, og jeg prioriterer højt at gå tidligt i seng hver aften, siger han. Også en ting som stress har Anders Antonsen identificeret som en potentiel migrænetrigger, og derfor har han i den forgange uge gruet en smule mere end vanligt. Der har været fart på den første uge på dansk grund efter VM, men de mange bolde i luften er han blevet bedre til at jonglere. - Hvis jeg for et år siden havde skullet være på som i denne uge, havde jeg måske fået et anfald om torsdagen. I forhold til dengang tror jeg, at jeg er blevet bedre >>

12 BADMINTON DANMARK |

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Interview | BADMINTON DANMARK 13 til at håndtere at have mange ting at se til og bedre til at få gøremål fra hånden, så de ikke hober sig op og bliver uoverskuelige. Hver søndag skriver jeg for eksempel ned, hvad jeg skal hver dag i løbet af ugen, siger han.

Det absurd lækre måltid Hverdagen som topatlet er unægtelig hård kost, ikke mindst fysisk. Også mentalt mærker Anders Antonsen presset, som influerer hans liv uden for hallen. - Det er svært at forklare folk, og jeg tror faktisk kun, at det er Kenneth (Jonassen, red.), jeg har talt med, som kan sætte sig ind i, hvad det kræver fysisk og mentalt hele tiden, hver dag, at skulle ud på et punkt, hvor man er så smadret, at det gør ondt, siger Anders Antonsen og sukker, som er det hårdt bare at tale om. - Til gengæld er jeg blevet bedre til at kunne rumme flere ting hen ad vejen. Da jeg startede i Brøndby, kunne simple ting som at gå ned at handle virke uoverskueligt. Som en slags plaster på det sår, Anders Antonsen hver dag frivilligt river op til træning eller turnering, forsøger han at forsøde tilværelsen, hvor han ellers kan. Det er ikke alene flere titler, at den 188 centimeter høje herresingle har smag for. - Jeg elsker virkelig god mad. Og jeg har sagt til mig selv, at jeg ikke vil gå på kompromis med mad, siger han og tager sig til hovedet i et stort, nærmest nostalgisk

smil, som prøver han at begribe sin egen kærlighed til mad. Mad, der vel at mærke typisk tilberedes i køkkener, som ikke er Antonsens eget.

Anders Antonsen kigger ud gennem ruden bag rullegardinet. Fra stuevinduet oppe i højderne kan hans skinnende nye blå BMW øjnes.

- God mad er virkelig en af de største glæder, jeg har i mit liv, og jeg bliver inderligt glad, når jeg får et godt måltid mad. Jeg har ikke rigtig nogen stopklods, når det kommer til mad. Min mor siger, at jeg har et helt surrealistisk madbudget, men jeg har det sådan, at jeg synes generelt, at hverdagen er hård fysisk og mentalt. Så når Kenneth (Jonassen, red.) smadrer os igennem til træning, har jeg ligesom det der lækre måltid, jeg skal have om aftenen, som jeg kan se frem til, siger han og slår en latter op, inden han på ærkeaarhusiansk understreger en sidste gang, hvorfor han mener, det er på sin plads, at madbudgettet ser ud, som det gør.

Den kan noget af det samme som god mad.

- Helt seriøst. Jeg har sagt til min mor; prøv og hør her, det her er en af de største glæder, jeg har i mit liv. Altså jeg synes, det er så absurd lækkert at spise god mad, så det får hun altså ikke lov at tage fra mig. Så er jeg med på, at jeg bruger mange penge på det, men jeg synes simpelthen, at det er det værd.

Bygger op på ny Kaffekopperne på spisebordet står tomme. Inden længe venter formiddagstræningen i Brøndby.

Blå bog Anders Antonsen

Anders Antonsen er 22 år gammel og bosat på Vesterbro i København. Han er oprindeligt fra Aarhus og i øvrigt lillebror til tidligere topspiller Kasper Antonsen Anders Antonsen er forsvarende og tredobbelt dansk mester. I januar vandt han Indonesia Masters, og i juni vandt han European Games. Derudover blev han nummer to ved Indonesia Open i juli og vandt sølv ved VM 2019 i august som den yngste danske herresingle hidtil.

Han sætter noget stille amerikansk rapmusik på Marshall-anlægget ved siden af DM-pokalen og børster tænder. Kaster en pakke frugtstænger i badmintontasken og trækker en grå hættetrøje over hovedet, inden han til sidst fører et par runde solbriller for øjnene. Ikke for at se smart ud, som han tænker, at mange måske tror, men primært for at undgå skarpt lys og glimt, der bliver hængende i synsfeltet og nager som ærgerlige finaler. Så hapser han bilnøglerne fra kommoden, lukker døren bag sig og glider kort efter gennem byen mod Idrættens Hus i Brøndby. En lille time senere brager han rundt på badmintonbanen og bygger appetitten op. Til den næste titel og det næste absurd lækre måltid mad.

14 BADMINTON DANMARK | Interview

Anders Antonsen is ravenous as a wolf Anders Antonsen has got himself well and truly settled at the table among the world’s top players, and he is not too shy in helping himself to the offers from the World Tour. But the 22-year-old world silver medallist is starving for more, and his appetite only grows with each title and each tough training session. By Lasse Kjær Hansen

Anders Antonsen practically tumbles out of his bedroom towards the door into his home in Vesterbro in Copenhagen. Bare-chested and dressed only in a pair of red VICTOR shorts, he leans forward and grabs the door handle and opens.

- Don’t mind the mess, he says in a slightly foggy voice but still in an energetic tone, as he tosses a white cotton T-shirt over his head and moves towards the fridge in the kitchen behind the hall.

He’s still a bit puffy around the eyes and his hair is pointing in different directions that are most likely dictated by the pillow he has slept upon. It’s Friday morning and not much more than 15 minutes since the alarm clock on

Interview | BADMINTON DANMARK 15 Anders Antonsen’s smartphone jogged the young Dane out of his bed shortly before eight. He brings it up, despite it being noticeable from the situation, and chuckles a little at the obviousness of the statement. - How long is it until the Denmark Open? he asks from the kitchen before plopping himself down by the dining table in the living room with a bowl of oatmeal with milk and raisins. The answer to his question is about five weeks, and it is, thus, barely two weeks ago that the hungry badminton player took a silver medal at the World Championships – as the youngest Danish men’s singles player ever. Despite the performance alone being worthy of the history books, it hasn’t changed the fact that Anders Antonsen still begins each morning with frizzy hair, a big glass of water and oat meal.

The thrashing which he received from Japanese star Kento Momota shadows his earlier efforts during the championships, thereby stealing much of the pleasure from the silver medal, which, nevertheless, hangs in all its glory from the grand national Danish Championships trophy that is planted on the dresser behind him. - At the start it didn’t really bother me that much. Leading up to the final and

that it was 9 and 3, he says, almost interrupting himself as he adds: - I’m going to need to have a do-over of that final. It mustn’t be what I remember most in 10 years’ time. And that, I think, is what’s positive about me thinking this way, because it really adds fuel to the fire. I can really feel that fire in me, burning to turn the final around. And the next time I meet Kento, I’m looking so much forward to that. It might well be that a victory over him could really change things.

- It sounds so wild to say, ‘Peter Rasmussen won the World Championships,’ and ‘Peter Gade was in the final of the World Championships in 2001,’ and it was such a rush to see Viktor (Axelsen, ed.) win. When I’ve heard about others or seen others reach a world championship final, then I feel like it sounds so huge. But when I was standing there myself, I was pretty loose and laid back. It didn’t feel that wild at all.

- I thought to myself, when I got home from a week’s holiday on Mallorca last Sunday after the championships, ‘I wonder if I’m more famous now,’ says the young silver medallist, as he squints his eyes and hunches his shoulders, continuing: - So, I paid a little more attention to the people who I walked past in the street, but everyone just carried on walking without anything, he laughs, adding: - Silver’s just not enough, I don’t think, if you want to break through to the average Dane in that way. I’ve had a few more requests for interviews and stuff, but otherwise I don’t feel like anything has changed at all really.

during it, I was well aware that it could well turn ugly because of the way I felt physically. I knew that it was more or less mission impossible. Right after the final my friends and I actually laughed a lot and joked about it. That it had been hyped so much up and shown on the main TV channel and everything, and people had travelled to Basel to watch the final and tagged me in this post or another on social media. And then it just turned into this massive fiasco, he says, emphasising the word massive as he suppresses a chuckle.

Final on his mind For Anders Antonsen himself however, his performance at the World Championships has slowly begun to sink in. But the feeling isn’t exactly one of sheer happiness, he explains. Actually, the reality has begun to gnaw at him, and, with each day that passes, the final seems to occupy his thoughts more and more.

- I can notice now though that the final bothers me more and more with each day that passes. There’s no getting away from it. If I had lost by 16 and 16, then, perhaps, I could have appreciated it more, because then the final would not be such a huge part of the story. But in the actual narrative you simply can’t deny

Sights on number one Fortunately, Anders Antonsen has a bunch of excellent results to fall back on besides the World Championships that he can congratulate himself over. Nor does the silver medal hang alone on the Danish National Championships trophy, which has been in Antonsen’s care since 2017; it shares a place with a gold medal from the Indonesia Masters in January, a gold medal from the European Mixed Team Championships in February, another gold from the European Games in June and a silver from the Indonesia Open in July.

Common to all the medals is that they have all been gained in 2019, which in other words has been a ground-breaking year for Anders Antonsen’s growing badminton career. At the time of writing he is ranked number four in the world. The gradual rise up into the top five has come fast – faster than he had expected himself, despite the fact he has always believed in it and done so to such a degree that the actual massiveness of taking part in a world championship final never really hit him. - It sounds so wild to say, ‘Peter Rasmussen won the World Championships,’ and ‘Peter Gade was in the final of the World Championships in 2001,’ and it was such a rush to see Viktor (Axelsen, ed.) win. When I’ve heard about others or seen others reach a world championship final, then I feel like it sounds so huge. But when I was standing there myself, I >>

16 BADMINTON DANMARK |

FÅ MERE UD AF DINE IT-INVESTERINGER – FÅ EN MODERNE ARBEJDSPLADS JDM A/S · Middelfartvej 218 · 5200 08.41 Odense V · Tlf. +45 63 13 30 30 · service@jdm.dk · www.jdm.dk DSC_183x127 annonce.pdf 1 18/09/2017

CMY

Interview | BADMINTON DANMARK 17 was pretty loose and laid back. It didn’t feel that wild at all. Kenneth (Jonassen, ed.) said to me that he thinks this is because I have seen myself in the situation and visualised it in my head so many times that it wasn’t such a big surprise. I think that’s about right. Now it happened in real life, but perhaps I’d played it so many times in my head that it almost felt like I’d been there before, claims Anders Antonsen. What the next big goal for the 22-yearold’s career will be, is, by his own account, unclear. One thing is certain however; for every bite he takes out of the cake, the stronger his appetite for more, and bigger pieces. - I am just hungry now. Crazy hungry. There is no one thing that sticks out, that I go after specifically. I want to have it all, and I just feel like moving forward in the field in everything I sign up for. Getting to the quarter final, to the semis and then take it from there. It could be a lot wilder. I’m not looking for silver medals, admits the driven Dane with a smile. - Right now, I’m ranked fourth in the world, he says, interrupting himself by breathing in deeply.

- I mean, my goal is to be number one in the world. It always has been. Of course, I can very well say, that now the next goal is to be number three, and then two and so on. But I don’t look at things in that way much anymore. Now it’s number one that’s the main goal, which is hopefully waiting somewhere out there in the future, he says.

Routines born from necessity Anders Antonsen has gone back into the kitchen. He’s almost emptied the bowl of oatmeal but a handful of flakes remain sitting there soaking up the last splashes of milk. He returns to the living room with two cups of coffee. The black energy brew is a fixed element in his morning routine

and is usually the first thing he turns to when he gets out of bed. As a general rule the first thing waiting for him outside the home is his training session in Brøndby, typically either at around 8 or 10. As a not especially morning person things tend to be a bit rushed before he leaves for the elite centre. Over the last couple of years however, his mornings in the apartment have been expanded slightly. He brings the subject up himself when the talk turns to routines: migraines. The sudden headache and the almost unbearable physical reactions made life difficult for the rising young comet in 2018. Although at the time of writing it is more than a year since Anders Antonsen

- Seriously. I’ve said to my mum; just look, this is one of the greatest pleasures that I have in my life. I mean I really do think that it is absurdly fantastic to eat good food, so she can’t take that away from me. So, while I agree that I spend a lot of money on it, I just think that it’s worth it.

last suffered from a migraine, the fear of an attack has not left him. Which is why he takes certain precautions: to stick to his bedtimes and try not to kick-start the system too abruptly in the morning. - I’ve never had a migraine at one of the mid-morning training sessions in Brøndby, but back when I did get them, they could appear after an early workout, when we during our warm-up played ‘Box Game’ at mega-high intensity, because none of us want to lose. So, pulses are always really racing after that, and that often made me a bit dizzy and made eyelids feel heavy, which sometimes later would develop into a migraine, recounts Anders Antonsen. He gets up from his chair and pulls the black blind down over the large living room window so that the light can only come in below eye level. Almost imper>> ceptibly he continues:

Hvor stjerner og talenter mødes

Fantastisk badminton Ceres Park og Arena 5. – 8. februar 2020

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Interview | BADMINTON DANMARK 19 - Since then, I’ve grown better at giving myself a bit longer to get going in the morning, which means I don’t get that same kind of dizziness. Sleep is really important for me as well, and I prioritise going to bed early every night, he explains. Anders Antonsen has also noted that stress can be a potential migraine trigger, which is why he has been a little more nervous than usual this past week. Things have been hectic over the first few days on Danish soil after the World Championships, but he has also got better at handling the multitude of tasks that come his way. - If I’d had a week like this one a year ago, I might well have had a migraine attack on Thursday. Compared to back then I think that I’ve got better at dealing with having many things to do and better at getting the chores out of the way, so that they don’t pile up and become overwhelming. Every Sunday, for example, I write down what I have to do for each day of the week, he claims.

The absurdly delicious dinner Daily life as an elite athlete is undeniably tough, not least physically. But Anders Antonsen can also feel the psychological pressure, which also affects his life outside of the badminton court. - It’s hard to explain to people, and I think actually that it’s only Kenneth (Jonassen, ed.) who I have talked to, who can really appreciate what is demanded physically and mentally the entire time, every day – to push yourself to a point where you are so trashed that it hurts, says Anders Antonsen with a sigh, as if it’s physically tough to just talk about it. - On the other hand, I’ve become better at being able to manage more things along the way. A couple of years ago just little things like going down to the shops could feel overwhelming. As a small consolation for the fact that Anders Antonsen gives his best every single day for training and tournaments, he tries to sweeten his existence whenever possible. It turns out that it’s not only more titles, which the 188-centimetre-tall men’s singles player has a taste for. - I really love good food. And I’ve said to myself that I won’t compromise on food,

he explains and clutches his head with a wide, nostalgic smile, as if he is trying to grasp his own love of food. Food, one should note that is typically prepared in kitchens that are not Antonsen’s own. - Good food really is one of the greatest pleasures I have in my life, and I feel happy inside when I can enjoy a really good meal. I don’t really have an off switch when it comes to food. My mum tells me that my food budget is completely surreal, but I just think in general that daily life is tough physically and mentally. So when Kenneth (Jonassen, ed.) puts us through one of his draining training sessions, I have the delicious dinner that I’m going to have that evening to look forward to, he says and breaks into a laugh before emphasising once again why he thinks it’s okay that his food budget looks the way it does. - Seriously. I’ve said to my mum; just look, this is one of the greatest pleasures that I have in my life. I mean I really do think that it is absurdly fantastic to eat good food, so she can’t take that away from me. So, while I agree that I spend a lot of money on it, I just think that it’s worth it, he grins.

Building up for new challenges The coffee cups on the table are empty.

Before long, the mid-morning training session in Brøndby beckons. Anders Antonsen looks out of the window behind the black curtain. From his living room window, you can just make out his shiny new blue BMW. In many manners the car does the same for him as good food does. He puts some American rap music on low through the Marshall speaker at the side of the Danish Championships trophy and brushes his teeth, throws a couple of fig sticks into his badminton bag and pulls a grey sweatshirt over his head, before adding a pair of round sunglasses to shield his eyes. Not to look cool or aloof, as he assumes many might think, but primarily to avoid the sharp light and the glint that hangs around one’s field of vision and irritates as surely as a disappointing final. Then he grasps the car keys, closes the door behind him and glides through town towards the House of Sports and the Danish National Elite Centre in Brøndby. Scarcely an hour later, he’s storming around the court, building up his appetite. For the next absurdly delicious dinner – and the next title.

Blue book Anders Antonsen

Anders Antonsen is 22 years old and lives in Copenhagen. He is originally from Aarhus and the little brother of former top player Kasper Antonsen. Anders Antonsen is the defending and three times national Danish champion in men’s singles. In January, he won the Indonesia Masters and in June, he won the European Games. Besides that he came in second at Indonesia Open in July and won a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships in august – as the youngest Danish men’s singles player so far.

FAIRPLAY I

BADMINTON Badminton Danmark og DGI Badminton er klar med vores syn på Fair Play. Det vil I støde ind i og stifte bekendtskab med i hallerne, i den kommende tid til de større mesterskaber.

At være FAIR handler om at opføre sig ordentligt, ærligt og retfærdigt, samt ikke virke stødende med sin adfærd, både i forhold til dem, der spilles med og imod.

Målet og det primære fokus er at hjælpe til at børn og forbilleder efterleve de rammer og regler, der er sat i badminton og opføre sig fair især i turneringsaktivitetssammenhæng.

•

• Badminton er en enestående sportsgren, da langt de fleste badmintonkampe afvikles, hvor spillerne selv dømmer kampene. Det stiller store krav til badmintonspillernes opførsel og evne til at dømme og opføre sig fair. Badminton Danmark og DGI Badminton går ind for FAIRPLAY, da det danner fundamentet for, at det er sjovt at konkurrere, giver masser af gode oplevelser og, at der er plads til alle.

•

FAIRPLAY er at overholde reglerne og respektere sin modstander og handle på en måde, der sikrer retfærdighed og en god afvikling af konkurrencesituationen. FAIRPLAY er at være ærlig og retfærdig, også selvom det ikke er til ens egen fordel. Det betyder, at du skal være villig til at ofre din egen succes til fordel for et retfærdigt udfald. FAIRPLAY handler om spillet på banen, men også om, hvad der sker udenfor stregerne på tilskuerpladserne, så det gælder både spillere, trænere og forældre.

Gensidig respekt og FAIR PLAY overfor hinanden giver de bedste forudsætninger for gode oplevelser for alle.

Vidste du,... At det kun er en dommer, der kan dømme ”fejl”. Du kan ikke dømme, at modstanderen ramte nettet med ketsjeren, eller lavede overhåndsserv el.lign. Du skal altid spille en duel færdig, og duellen afgøres altid ved, at bolden dømmes inde eller ude eller ikke kommer over nettet.

At du som forbillede altid kan stoppe dit eget barn i at fortsætte en kamp og trække dit barn ud, hvis dit barn er gået over stregen for FAIRPLAY.

At du altid kan henvende dig ved hallens dommerbord, hvis du som forbillede oplever en meget problemfyldt kamp, som du ikke føler, spillerne selv kan håndtere. Dommerbordet kan tage stilling til, om det vil hjælpe med en neutral observatør (som afgør uenigheder) resten af kampen.

At en badmintonkamp starter, når spillerne er trådt ind på baneområdet, og slutter når de er trådt ud. Spillerne må IKKE forlade banen, før kampen er spillet færdig. Ingen må gå på banen, heller ikke forbilleder med vanddunk eller et sidste godt råd, når spillerne er gået på banen.

| BADMINTON DANMARK 21

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22 BADMINTON DANMARK | Artikel

Artikel | BADMINTON DANMARK 23

Drømmen om de Paralympiske Lege: - Tingene begynder at spidse til

Med en klokkeklar drøm og målsætning om at komme til de Paralympiske Lege kastede Cathrine Rosengren sig for tre år siden ind i parabadminton. To VM-medaljer senere er der nu under et år til, at Tokyo 2020 står for døren, og den danske damesingle mærker tingene spidse til. – Det er lidt nervepirrende efterhånden, men også spændende, lyder det fra det danske PL-håb. Af Lasse Kjær Hansen

Da Cathrine Rosengren for første gang blev spurgt, om hun havde lyst til at konkurrere i parabadminton, havde hun netop vundet sin første DM-medalje i U15. Hidtil da havde tanken om at spille parabadminton på intet tidspunkt strejfet hende, for hun har aldrig opfattet sig selv som handicappet. Derfor var den dengang 14-årige Solrød-spiller også tjep til at affeje forslaget, fortæller hun. - Jeg havde det svært med tanken om, at folk skulle begynde at se mig som handicappet. Mest af alt frygtede jeg for, at de personer, jeg spillede badminton med og mod, ville synes, at det var underligt, hvis jeg pludselig stillede op i parabadminton, siger Cathrine Rosengren, som fortæller, at hendes bekymringer sidenhen er blevet gjort til skamme. - Det har kun været positivt hele vejen rundt, siden jeg efterfølgende begyndte på parabadminton. Selv om der er en del, som ikke kan se, hvordan jeg kan ”få lov” at spille, siger Rosengren.

Tokyo kommer tættere og tættere Det kan da også være udfordrende at

identificere, hvori den i dag 20-årige Greve-spillers handicap består. Hun har let ved at skjule det, fortæller hun. Ikke desto mindre er venstrearmen, som følge af nogle nerver, der blev ødelagt i fødslen, begrænset i bevægelighed, og hun kan ikke hæve den over skulderhøjde. Siden parabadminton for snart syv år siden kom inden for radaren hos Rosengren for første gang, har hun dog ikke kunnet skjule, at hun er en af verdens bedste paraspillere i klassen, hun konkurrerer i, SU5, der omfatter stående spillere med funktionsnedsættelse i et eller flere af de øvre lemmer.

Kickstarten på danskerens karriere kom, da parabadminton landede på det paralympiske program. - PL var kort sagt grunden til, at jeg begyndte at spille parabadminton. Lige fra starten har mit mål været at komme med til de Paralympiske Lege, og det er det, jeg har satset på hele tiden, siger Cathrine Rosengren, som håber, at det bliver i Tokyo 2020, at tingene kulminerer for det største danske paralympiske badmintonhåb. Hun har da efterhånden også bemærket, at den ene dag i kalenderen tager den næste, og at vi snart skriver anno 2020. >>

- Lige fra starten har mit mål været at komme med til de Paralympiske Lege, og det er det, jeg har satset på hele tiden. Det vil være en drøm, der går i opfyldelse.

24 BADMINTON DANMARK |

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Artikel | BADMINTON DANMARK 25 - Det er lidt nervepirrende nu, hvor det begynder at nærme sig, men det er også spændende. Det er først nu her, jeg rigtig kan mærke, at der er pres på, og det er fedt. Det motiverer mig, at jeg har det her overordnede mål at arbejde ud fra, og at jeg kan måle mit niveau og mærke fremskridtene ude til turneringerne, siger Rosengren, som ikke er i tvivl om, hvor stort det vil være for hende at kvalificere sig til parasportens pendant til OL. - Det vil være en drøm, der går i opfyldelse at komme med og en kæmpe oplevelse, som ikke mange får lov at få, siger hun og tilføjer smilende på baggrund af de to VM-medaljer, hun allerede har på CV’et: - Målet vil selvfølgelig også være at få en medalje med hjem fra Tokyo.

Det fortæller Team Manager for Cathrine Rosengren, Badminton Danmarks Nicolaj Knudsen: - Som det ser ud lige nu, så er Cathrine så godt som kvalificeret til PL. Hun rangerer som nummer tre i verden og ligger milevidt foran verdens nummer fire. Ved VM i august så vi også, at det er de tre SU5-damesingler i top-tre, der primært kæmper indbyrdes om de øverste podiepladser, og Cathrine bliver fortsat ved med at lægge på sit spil, siger en fortrøstningsfuld Nicolaj Knudsen.

Fifty-fifty på dagen I den række af turneringer, som ligger frem mod udgangen af kvalifikationsperioden i april næste år, håber Cathrine Rosengren derfor at stå i så mange opgør som muligt med Quixia Yang og Ayako Suzuki.

Begge rivaler arbejder Rosengren målrettet på at få grebet om, forklarer hun.

- Jeg oplever, når jeg møder dem, at det er ret fifty-fifty på dagen, hvem der tager sejren. Indtil nu er det desværre bare dem, der lige har haft det ekstra, som jeg nu træner for at få over på min side. Jeg håber at få så meget spil imod dem begge som muligt, for jo mere erfaring jeg får imod dem, desto bedre står jeg, hvis jeg render ind i dem til et potentielt PL, siger Cathrine Rosengren.

- Lige nu er Yang og Suzuki mere eller mindre de eneste, jeg rigtig kæmper for at slå. De fleste andre kan jeg godt vinde over på selv en relativt dårlig dag. Derfor er det også Yang og Suzuki, jeg forsø-

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Foruden Cathrine Rosengren domineres verdenstoppen i øjeblikket af den kinesiske verdensmester Quixia Yang, som slog Rosengren ud i årets VM-semifinale, samt den tidligere verdensmester fra Japan, Ayako Suzuki.

To ærkerivaler Endnu er intet dog sikkert hverken medaljemæssigt eller for den sags skyld deltagelsesmæssigt for Cathrine Rosengren, i og med at kvalifikationen til legene løber frem til foråret næste år. Som det ser ud i øjeblikket, skal der dog mange hårde slag til at slå den danske parastjerne ud af den PL-kurs, hun længe har været på.

ger at styrke mit spil i forhold til bedre at kunne udnytte deres svagheder og forbedre mig på de punkter, de udnytter, når de spiller imod mig, siger Cathrine Rosengren.

Blå bog Cathrine Rosengren

er 20 år gammel og fra Taastrup. Som ungdomsspiller spillede hun i Solrød, men i dag spiller hun for Greve. Hun har, siden hun blev student i sommeren 2018 haft sabbatår, og i den periode satset hårdt på badminton. I skrivende stund rangerer hun som nummer tre i verden i damesingle i klassen SU5. Cathrine Rosengren har vundet VM-bronze to gange (2017 og 2019) samt EM-guld i 2016 og 2018.

26 BADMINTON DANMARK |

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28 BADMINTON DANMARK | Reportage

Vejen til VM:

I hælene på cheflandstræneren VM er toppen af badmintonpoppen og en piedestalplaceret prioritet i Badminton Danmark såvel som hos klodens øvrige ketsjerforbund. Det er til VM, der skal peakes og præsteres, og det kræver en timet og tilrettelagt trænings- og turneringsplanlægning. En opgave, der bliver stadig mere kompleks ifølge cheflandstræner Kenneth Jonassen, som vi fulgte i hælene på vejen til VM 2019. Af Lasse Kjær Hansen

Gummisko hviner imod gulvet. Fjerbolde flænses huk for huk af knivskarpe cuts og clears, og snerten af fugtige fødder og fordampet sved vinder i stigende grad indpas på det ellers tørre halklima. Alt synes så vidt at være, som det plejer denne formiddag på det Nationale Elite

Træningscenter i Brøndby, men der er nu alligevel en form for febrilsk stemning, der præger truppen og adskiller denne dag fra den typiske. Om under et døgn går turen til Basel og VM 2019 for den danske delegation. Og selv om sveden pibler ud af porerne på

Antonsen, Blichfeldt, Vittinghus og de øvrige danske singlespillere til sidste VMtræning på dansk grund, så er det med et smålatterligt smil på læben, at cheflandstræner Kenneth Jonassen efterfølgende træder af fra seancen og vender snuden mod sit kontor.

Reportage | BADMINTON DANMARK 29 - Jeg kan love dig for, at der blev gået på glasskår i dag, griner han og efterligner det, han siger på vej ned ad Badminton Danmarks kontorgang i Idrættens Hus.

Herfra sigter den danske delegation videre imod Basel og verdensmesterskaberne 2019, som har været i sigtekornet længe. Meget længe.

- Det var uh og ih og ah og åh. Der blev ikke taget nogen chancer, fortsætter han bredtsmilende, i takt med at han tager sig til knæ og skulder i en kærlig parodi på VM-spillernes lidt forsigtige træningsindsats.

Allerede i kølvandet af VM 2018 nedfældede Badminton Danmarks sportslige ledelse i samarbejde med Team Danmark medaljemålsætningen for næste års VM. Imidlertid blev målsætningen nedjusteret ugen op til mesterskaberne på baggrund af blandt andet afbud fra Viktor Axelsen og makkerrokader i herredoublegruppen.

Efter at have spøget til side forklarer han, at det trods alt er en del af planen, at spillerne skal gå en smule lettere til stålet her i den afsluttende del af deres VM-forberedelse. De er i færd med deres tapering, som han siger; nedtrapningen forud for det store slag, der om få dage kommer til at koste spillerne kolossale kræfter og derfor kræver fyldte energidepoter fuldt restituerede muskler. - Sådan er det altid, og sådan skal det være. Det betyder, at de kan mærke, at de er ved at være dér, hvor de skal være. Vores spillere er altid lidt ekstra forsigtige den sidste træning op til store mesterskaber og turneringer, og VM er noget af det allerstørste. Så jeg forstår dem godt. Der er ingen grund til at udfordre sine småskavanker nu. De har lavet det, der skal laves, tilføjer cheflandstræneren, inden han fordufter ind til sit skrivebord i kontorfællesskabet med de øvrige fire danske landstrænere.

Puslespillet med stadig flere brikker Tæt på ti timer senere, oven på et efterfølgende træningspas med doublespillerne, et par interviews med pressen og en kort nats søvn lander Kenneth Jonassen i Zürich sammen med de danske VM-håb og Badminton Danmarks stab af professionelle.

I selvsamme sensommer sidste år skitserede ledelsen bestående af sportschef Jens Meibom og landstrænerstaben, som foruden cheflandstræneren talte Thomas Stavngaard, Kim Nielsen, Jakob Høi og Jesper Hovgaard, den overordnede sæsonplan for det følgende år. Ikke længe efter udarbejdede de ansvarlige trænere i hver kategori sammen med forbundets rundt regnet 25 spillere individuelle turneringsplaner for 2019. For de spillere med potentiale til at kvalificere sig til VM, blev planen typisk lagt med henblik på at opnå et såvel fysisk som spillemæssigt topniveau til VM i august. - Det er ikke noget, der har været unikt for det seneste år. VM er, hvert år det finder sted, vores absolutte topprioritet herinde og det mesterskab blandt enkelte andre, som vi typisk tilgår hele sæsonplanlægningen ud fra, naturligvis i overensstemmelse med spillernes individuelle ønsker, fortæller Kenneth Jonassen. Den langsigtede planlægning, som skal bidrage til, at spillerne så vidt muligt peaker på specifikke tidspunkter i løbet af året, er dog blevet et markant større puslespil i forhold til tidligere, hvor tur-

- Selv om der er mange, som kan spille god badminton, så er det bare ikke hver mand, der kan lægge op til Anders Antonsen, som for eksempel HK og Gemke kan det. Og i og med at VM er vores primære målsætning, så er vi nødt til at stå sammen. Kenneth Jonassen

neringsudbuddet var væsentlig mere begrænset, end det er i dag. Dermed er den rette og rettidige trænings- og turneringsplanlægning også blevet desto vigtigere ifølge cheflandstræneren. - Når det kommer til VM for eksempel, så har den direkte forberedelsesperiode i en årrække ligget seks uger op til op til mesterskaberne. De seneste to år er vi imidlertid blevet udfordret af, at der har ligget større turneringer inden for de seks uger før VM, som vores spillere ulig tidligere skal deltage i qua den nye turneringsstruktur, der indebærer, at kvalificerede spillere skal stille op i World Tour Super 750 og så videre. Det har medført, at vi ikke længere har mulighed for at bede vores VM-spillere om kun at spille én turnering i VM-perioden, siger Jonassen. I år var det henholdsvis Indonesia Open og Japan Open, som i løbet af juli kom i klemme med drømmescenariet for forberedelsesperioden frem mod VM. Foruden den på sin vis amputerede forberedelsesperiode kommer oveni diverse løbende problemstillinger, som spillere og trænere i fællesskab må forholde sig til og omstille sig ud fra kontinuerligt gennem hele året. Blandt andet derfor har landstrænerne løbende individuelle samtaler med spillerne. - Til hver turnering, vores spillere er af sted til, varierer det, hvor mange kampe, de spiller hver især, og hvor mange kræfter de bruger. Dermed har hver enkelt spiller også en individuel tilpasningsperiode, når han eller hun kommer hjem igen. Nogen er topklar til at træne hårdt fra første dag, mens andre har behov for restitution. Dertil kommer selvfølgelig skadesscenarier, som altid er til stede, og som hele tiden afstedkommer løbende justeringer og kompromisser i træningsog eventuelt også turneringsplanen for spilleren eller parret.

Første skridt er en grøn bane Den første konkrete brik i præparationspuslespillet til VM placeres i kølvandet af European Games i juni. Det europæiske svar på OL udmunder i to danske sejrherrer i single, Mia Blichfeldt og Anders Antonsen, og bliver derudover >>

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Reportage | BADMINTON DANMARK 31 riode. Jeg oplever heldigvis, at der er en god forståelse for, hvad det er, vi prøver at opnå med den praksis, og det er vigtigt. Forståelsen er essentiel for vores måde at superoptimere spillerne frem til afgørende mesterskaber, siger Kenneth Jonassen og påpeger: - Ved hjælp af god kommunikation oplever samtidig, at vi er i stand til stadig at varetage individuelle interesser under VM-perioder. Efter VM fordeler vi fokus ud på alle spillere igen, selv om der overordnet set ikke er nogen tvivl om, at vi træner oppefra og ned året rundt.

startskuddet til den første direkte træning frem mod VM. I Brøndbyhallen er braget fra et regulært startskud dog afløst af den skrattende lyd af klæbrig tape. Her er spillerne og trænerne på centret i mere eller mindre fællesskab i færd med at klistre de karakteristiske grønne badmintonbaner, som kendes fra fjernsynet og finalerunderne, ud over trægulvet i Brøndbyhallen. På kort tid og på trods af kække bemærkninger hist og her om præcision og æstetik, får de lagt fire snorlige badmintonbaner til pryd og pragt i den selvsamme arena, som Camilla Martin for akkurat 20 år siden vandt VM i. Tiltaget har ifølge cheflandstræneren til hensigt at markere, at der er noget stort på vej. - Dels er banerne det nærmeste, vi kommer på at spille på de baner, som er ude til turneringer og mesterskaber, og dels er de et led i en mental øvelse for alle. De signalerer, at vi nu træner op mod noget, der større end normalt, og som vi derfor skal være specifikt opmærksomme på, siger Kenneth Jonassen. Og teorien lader til at stemme overnes med virkeligheden, mener i al fald HansKristian Solberg Vittinghus: - Det giver helt sikkert noget både mentalt og fysisk. Man har ligesom en anden fornemmelse af tingene, når man spiller på sådan nogle måtter. Det føles mere som at være i gang med en rigtig turne-

ring, kan man sige. Og der er jo stadig to træbaner i den ene ende af hallen, og dem gider man bare ikke at blive sendt ned på. Så der er også noget mentalt i, at det bare føles federe og vigtigere at stå på de grønne baner, siger Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus.

Den danske model Foruden de fysisk forandrede rammer på det Nationale Elite Træningscenter, indebærer opstarten af VM-træningen hvert år også en væsentlig praktisk ændring. Lørdagstræninger lægges ind i træningsplanen og det træningsmæssige fokus ændres og rettes primært mod de spillere, som skal til VM. Det betyder samtidig, at flere af de øvrige spillere i højere grad indtræder i en rolle som oplægger og sparringspartner for de spillere, der skal til Schweiz. - Badminton er en sparringssport. Det har det altid været, for vi har kort sagt brug for hinanden. Brug for at stå ved siden af hinanden og hjælpe hinanden. Det er det, eliteprogrammet er sat i verden for og det, der er essensen af at være herinde, siger Kenneth Jonassen og uddyber: - Selv om der er mange, som kan spille god badminton, så er det bare ikke hver mand, der kan lægge op til en Viktor eller Anders, som for eksempel HK og Gemke kan det. Og i og med at VM er vores primære målsætning, så er vi nødt til at stå sammen, selv om det kan have en konsekvens for dem, som eventuelt ikke får lov til at tage ud at spille en turnering eller får det fulde trænerfokus i den pe-

Den praksis, som cheflandstræneren beskriver, har Mads Conrad-Petersen blandt mange andre danske topspillere haft gavn af ad flere omgange. Seks gange har han spillet VM, men årets mesterskab bliver foruden den erfarne doublespiller, som i begyndelsen af året stiftede nyt makkerskab med Mathias Boe efter en årrækkes samarbejde med Mads Pieler Kolding. Hvor det tidligere har været øvrige spillere på forbundet, der har lagt op til Conrad-Petersen forud for et mesterskab, er hans kræfter i år reserveret til selvsamme for Anders Skaarup/Kim Astrup, der er eneste danske herredoublekonstellation kvalificeret til VM. Det indebærer, at han og makkeren Mathias Boe må undlade at spille Thailand Open i begyndelsen af august. - Vi har en stille drøm om at gøre os gældende til OL, så den turnering ville vi da måske gerne have været med til, men sådan er præmissen herinde, og det har vi jo også selv nydt godt af tidligere. Selv om det måske var en smule frustrerende, så så jeg det også som en mulighed for, at vi i stedet kunne arbejde på at bygge noget mere på vores spil frem mod øvrige turneringer. Vi havde i øvrigt lige været tre uger af sted i streg til henholdsvis Canada Open, US Open og Russian Open, så det var egentlig rigeligt, siger Mads Conrad-Petersen og påpeger: - Tidligere var det jo typisk seks uger, der blev hevet ud af kalenderen, men badminton bevæger sig henimod, at der er mulighed for at spille turnering snart hver uge. Ulig tidligere oplevede Mads ConradPetersen i år ikke, at der var nogen større interne komplikationer eller utilfredshed >>

32 BADMINTON DANMARK |

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Reportage | BADMINTON DANMARK 33 fra egen side ved det øgede træningsfokus på VM-spillerne. - I år var lidt særpræget, fordi Kim (Astrup, red.) var skadet det meste af tiden, så der har som sådan ikke været det der solofokus. Desuden har jeg aldrig helt købt den med, at det kun er VM-spillerne, der får noget ud af træningen. Hvis man selv har det rette fokus, kan man selv få meget ud af det, siger han.

Det store slag Den intensive VM-træning kommer fysisk tydeligt til udtryk hos flere af de danske spillere i Basel. Ikke alene præsterer de stærkt, de ser også stærke ud. Selv om Anders Antonsen fremstår som skåret i granit nærmest svæver den senere sølvvinder rundt på banen i de indledende opgør. Da han i kvartfinalen bestiger den regerende olympiske mester Chen Long, fejrer han triumfen med at give publikum syn for sagen. Med krydsede arme

fører han trøjen op over hovedet og falder dernæst på knæ ud mod brøljublende Kenneth Jonassen og Kim Nielsen, som kvitterer med kram og håndslag. Medaljen til Danmark er sikret. Målet er end indfriet, og den 22-årige aarhusianer overgår sidenhen forventningerne yderligere, da han vinder semifinalen og forvandler potentiel bronze til sølv. Kenneth Jonassen kan ikke bare ånde lettet op. Han kan gøre det med stolthed. - Helt overordnet lykkedes vi jo med, at rigtig mange af vores spillere performede på højt niveau ved VM. Det giver selvfølgelig en følelse af, at vi har lykkes i processen, og at vores dosering af og tilgang til tingene har fungeret. Ikke desto mindre er det på en knivsæg. Resultaterne giver mig ingen sikkerhed i, at vi nu har fundet formlen, og at vi skal gøre præcis det samme næste år, hvor der venter et OL. Tænker vi sådan, så går vi i gang med at afvikle i stedet for at udvikle, siger han.

Selv om sølvmedaljepræstationen er fænomenal, så er rusen kortvarig. Dagen efter, at cheflandstræneren returnerer fra VM, er han - desværre, som han siger allerede videre. - Alt skal gerne være same old same old, når vi kommer hjem fra VM, så vi alle kan se os i det på elitecentret, og så de spillere, som ikke var af sted i Basel, føler sig set, hørt og prioriteret. De står selvsagt med en kæmpe sult, og den, skal de ikke føle, bliver negligeret, for det gør den ikke. Derfor er det lige på og hårdt videre, siger han. Resten af sæsonen og 2020 står med andre ord lige for døren, og for Kenneth Jonassens og den øvrige del af den sportslige ledelses vedkommende, står den bare to dage efter VM-finalen i Basel på masterplanmøde for det næste år. Med Thomas & Uber Cup på hjemmebane og OL øverst i kikkerten.

34 BADMINTON DANMARK | Feature story

The road to the World Championships: on the heels of the national head coach

The World Championships are the top of the charts for badminton players and a top priority for Badminton Denmark as well as most other badminton organisations around the globe. The hard work peaks at the World Championships, which requires a meticulously scheduled training and tournament plan. It’s a task which has become ever more complex, according to Denmark’s national head coach Kenneth Jonassen, who we have been shadowing on the road to the 2019 World Championships. By Lasse Kjær Hansen

Rubber shoes squeak along the floor. Shuttlecocks split through the air with knife-sharp cuts and clears, and a hint of damp feet and evaporated sweat wins increasing ground over the otherwise dry climate in the hall. In other words, everything seems fairly normal this morning at the National Elite Training Centre in Brøndby, and yet there is a kind of feverish mood that characte-

rises the squad and marks this day out from more typical ones. In less than 24 hours the Danish delegation will fly to Basel for the 2019 World Championships. And despite the sweat trickling out of the pores of Antonsen, Blichfeldt, Vittinghus and the other Danish singles players at the final world championship training session on Danish soil, then it is with a slightly ridiculous

smile on his lips that national head coach Kenneth Jonassen heads back towards his office. - I can promise you that the championship players were walking on glass today, he laughs, mimicking such movements on his way down the corridor of Badminton Denmark’s office in Idrættens Hus.

Feature story | BADMINTON DANMARK 35 - It was uh and ah and oh. They didn’t take any chances, he continues with a wide smile, as he does a parody of the world championship players’ somewhat cautious training efforts. Joking aside, he explains that despite everything, it is part of the plan that the players should ease off their efforts a little in the final days of their world championship preparation. They are engaged in their tapering, as he calls it: winding down prior to the big matches, which in just a few days will demand tremendous efforts from the players and thus require full energy reserves and recovered muscles. - Which is how it always is and how it should be. It means that they can feel they are getting there where they are meant to be. Our players are always a little more cautious in their final training session before big championships and tournaments, and the World Championships is one of the very biggest. So, I understand them well. There is no reason to aggravate the little aches and pains now. They have done everything they can already, adds the head coach before disappearing behind his desk in the shared office landscape with the other four Danish coaches.

A jigsaw puzzle with ever increasing pieces Close to 10 hours later, on top of a subsequent workout with the double’s players, a couple of interviews with the press and a brief night’s sleep, Kenneth Jonassen lands in Zürich along with the Danish world championship hopes and Badminton Denmark’s team of professional staff. From here, the Danish delegation looks further towards Basel and the 2019 World Championships, which has been in their sights for a long time. A very long time. Already in the wake of the 2018 World Championships, Badminton Denmark’s sports management, in cooperation with Team Danmark, unfolded their medal objectives for this year’s World Championships. This goal was downgraded during the week leading up to the championships, based partly on Viktor Axelsen’s withdrawal from the competition as well as a reshuffle in the men’s doubles group.

- Although many people can play badminton well, not everyone can throw shots against Anders Antonsen or Viktor Axelsen, like for example Vittinghus and Gemke can. And given that the world championships are our primary goal, then we need to stand together. Kenneth Jonassen

In the exact same period last year, the sports management consisting of Director of Elite Sports Jens Meibom and the team of national coaches, which besides the head coach comprised Thomas Stavngaard, Kim Nielsen, Jakob Høi and Jesper Hovgaard, sketched out the overall season plan for the following year. Not long after that, the coaches in charge of each category, together with the roughly 25 players in the organisation, prepared individual tournament schedules for 2019. For those players with the potential to qualify for the World Championships, plans were typically made with a goal of achieving an optimum level both physically and in terms of their game for the World Championships in August. - This is not something that was unique for this past year. The World Championships are our absolute top priority every year they take place and the competition which, along with a few select others, we typically plan our entire season around, naturally in accordance with the players’ individual wishes, explains Jonassen. The long-term planning, which is aimed at helping the players peak at specific times throughout the year, has however become a significantly bigger puzzle to solve than previously, when the number of tournaments on offer was considerably more limited than it is today. This means that the correct and timely training and tournament schedule has become even more important, according to Denmark’s top coach. - When it comes to the World Championships for example, then the direct preparation period over several years

is those six weeks leading up to the championships. The past two years we have been challenged however by major tournaments scheduled in those six weeks before the World Championships, which our players, unlike previously, must participate in according to the new tournament structure, which rules that qualified players must compete in World Tour Super 750 tournaments and so forth. This has meant that it is no longer possible for us to ask our world championship players to only play one tournament during the lead-up period, says Jonassen. This year it was the Indonesia Open and Japan Open which over the course of July put pressure on the dream scenario for a perfect preparation period in the lead-up to the World Championships. In addition to this rather shortened preparation period, there are also various ongoing issues that players and coaches must figure out together and adapt to continuously throughout the entire year - hence the regular individual consultations, which the national coaches have with the players. - For each tournament our players go off to play in, it varies as to how many matches each individual player plays and how much effort they put in. Each individual player thus has an individual adjustment period, when he or she comes back home. Some are ready to train hard from the very first day, while others need some time to recover. Added to this there are of course injuries, that always occur, and which continuously lead to adjustments and compromises in the training schedule, and sometimes also the tournament schedule, for the player or the couple. >>

36 BADMINTON DANMARK | Feature story First step is a green court

The Danish model

The first concrete step in the preparation puzzle for the World Championships is completed in the wake of the European Games in June.

Besides the physically altered framework at the Danish National Elite Training Centre, there is also a significant practical change at each year’s start of training for the world championship. Saturday workouts are added to the training schedule and the focus is adjusted and directed primarily towards those players who are headed to the World Championships.

The European equivalent of the Olympics that opens on to two Danish victories in the singles, Mia Blichfeldt and Anders Antonsen, is also the starting signal for the first training sessions directly aimed towards the World Championships. In the hall in Brøndby, the sound of a starting shot is however replaced by the scratchy sound of sticky tape. Here, both coaches and players at the centre are busily applying green sticking tape to the characteristic green badminton courts as seen on TV and in the final rounds across the wooden floors of Brøndby Hallen. In the space of a very short time and despite some sassy comments here and there on precision and aesthetics, they manage to arrange four straight badminton courts in all their pomp and glory in the self-same arena, which Camilla Martin won the World Championships in exactly 20 years ago. According to the national head coach, the intention of the initiative is to mark the fact that they are approaching something big. - Partly because the courts are the closest thing, we can get to playing on to those courts featured in the tournaments and championships, and partly because they are a link in a mental exercise for everyone. They signal that we are now warming up to something bigger than usual, and which we therefore must pay special attention to, says Kenneth Jonassen. His theory appears to match the reality, at least according to Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus: - It definitely adds something, both mentally and physically. You have a different feeling about the situation when you play on these kinds of courts. It feels more like being involved in a real tournament, you could say. We still have a couple of wooden training courts at one end of the hall, that no one wants to get sent to play on. So, there is also something psychological about it, that it just feels cooler and more important to play on the green courts, says Vittinghus.

This also means that many of the other players take on the role of sparring partner for those players who are going to Switzerland.

Gemke can. And given that the World Championships are our primary goal, then we need to stand together, despite the effect this might have on those who will not ultimately have the chance to go off and play a tournament or receive the full training focus during this period. Fortunately, my experience is that there is understanding for what we are trying to achieve with this practice, and this is important. The understanding part of it is essential for our way of super optimizing the player’s up to crucial championships, says Kenneth Jonassen and points out:

- Badminton is a sparring sport. It always has been, because basically, we need each other. We need to stand at each other’s side and help each other. This is what the elite program was created for and it is the essence of why we are here, says Kenneth Jonassen, elaborating:

- Through good communication we also experience, that we during championship periods are capable of still attending individual interests. Post the World Championships we spread out focus on all players again, even though there is no doubt, that we in general work from above and down.

- Although many people can play badminton well, not everyone can throw shots against Anders Antonsen or Viktor Axelsen, like for example Vittinghus and

Mads Conrad-Petersen, among many other Danish elite players, has benefited on many occasions from the practice which the head coach describes.

Feature story | BADMINTON DANMARK 37 and falls to his knees next to a roaring Kenneth Jonassen and Kim Nielsen, who acknowledge his win with bro-hugs and handshakes.

- We still have a couple of wooden training courts at one end of the hall, that no one wants to get sent to play on. So, there is also something psychological about it, that it just feels cooler and more important to play on the green courts. Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus

Conrad-Petersen has competed in the World Championships six times, but this year’s championship will be without the experienced doubles player, who at the start of the year formed a new partnership with Mathias Boe after many years of cooperation with Mads Pieler Kolding. Whereas previously there have been other players in the organisation who have been sparring partners for the benefit of Conrad-Petersen ahead of the championships, this year his efforts are in reverse reserved for Anders Skaarup/ Kim Astrup, who are the only Danish men’s doubles constellation to have qualified for the World Championships 2019. This means that he and partner Mathias Boe miss out on playing in the Thailand Open at the start of August. - We have a quiet dream of making it to the Olympics, so we would have quite liked to have played in Thailand, but these are the terms here, and we have enjoyed the benefits of them ourselves in the past. Although it was perhaps a little frustrating, then I also saw it as an opportunity for us to work instead on building a little more on our game up towards the other tournaments. We had also just been away for three weeks straight at the Canada Open, US Open and Russian Open, so it was actually quite reasonable, says Mads Conrad-Petersen, who emphasises: - Previously it was typically six weeks that got pulled from the calendar, but

badminton is moving in a direction where you can potentially be playing a tournament almost every week. Unlike previous years, Conrad-Petersen did not experience any major internal complications this year or dissatisfaction on his part at the increased training focus on the world championship players. - This year was a bit different, as Kim (Astrup, red.) was injured for most of the time, so there has not been that solo focus there. And also I have never been completely sold on the idea that it was only the world championship players who got something out of the training sessions. If you have the right focus, then you can get something out of them, he says.

The big showdown The intensive world championship training becomes physically apparent in many of the Danish players in Basel. Not only are they giving strong performances, they also look strong. Although Anders Antonsen looks to be cut from granite, the soon-to-be silver medallist almost glides around the court in the preliminary matches. When in the quarter final he emerges victorious over the reigning Olympic champion Chen Long, he celebrates the win by treating the public to a sight to behold. With arms crossed he pulls his shirt over his head

A medal for Denmark is guaranteed. The goal has been more than reached, and the 22-year-old Aarhusian has since exceeded expectations still further by winning the semi-final and exchanging a potential bronze medal for a silver one. Kenneth Jonassen can not only breathe a sigh of relief: he can do it with pride. - In general, we succeeded, in that a great many of our players performed at a very high level at the championships. Naturally, this gives me a feeling that we have succeeded in the processing, and that our dosing and approach to things has worked. Nevertheless, it’s on a knife’s edge. The results do not assure me that we have found the formula, or that we should do things exactly the same next year, when the Olympics awaits us. If we think like that, we start to wind down rather than develop,” he says. Despite the silver medal performance being phenomenal, the euphoria is short-lived. The day after the national head coach returns from the World Championships he has - unfortunately, as he says - moved on: - Everything should ideally be ’same old same old’, when we come home from the World Championships, so we can all see ourselves in the elite centre, and so those players who weren’t with us in Basel feel seen, heard and prioritised. They are obviously really hungry to get out there and play, and they should not feel that they’re being neglected, because they aren’t. Which is why it’s back to the hard work and just getting on with it, Jonassen says. In other words, the rest of the season and 2020 are just around the corner, and in the case of Kenneth Jonassen and the rest of the sports management, this means attending a meeting just two days after the world championship final in Basel to go over the master plan for next year - with Thomas & Uber Cup on home turf and the Olympic Games sharpest in their sights.

VM for hold Aarhus, Denmark Ceres Park & Arena May 16.-24. 2020 ticketmaster.dk denmark2020.dk

Photo credit: BadmintonPhoto

TOTAL BWF Thomas and Uber Cup finals 2020

40 BADMINTON DANMARK | Thomas & Uber Cup

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Thomas & Uber Cup | BADMINTON DANMARK 41

Når stort bliver

størst

Til maj 2020 kommer Thomas & Uber Cup for første gang nogensinde til Europa, når Aarhus bliver værtsby for verdensmesterskaberne for herre- og damelandshold. Det er en af badmintonsportens absolut største events, og forberedelserne er i fuld gang. Få her et indblik i, hvad du kan glæde dig til, når Aarhus bliver forvandlet til Smilets badmintonby. Af Jonas Kildegaard Rasmussen

For første gang nogensinde spilles både Thomas & Uber Cup samtidig i Europa, når verdensmesterskaberne for herre- og damelandshold kommer til Danmark den 16.-24. maj 2020, hvor det danske herrelandshold går benhårdt efter at løfte Thomas Cup-trofæet på hjemmebane. Thomas & Uber Cup giver danske badmintonfans og sportsinteresserede mulighed for at se badminton i absolut verdensklasse, mens de selv får mulighed for at prøve at spille badminton på traditionel vis, men også på helt nye måder. Med AirBadminton forskellige steder rundt omkring i Aarhus bliver det en fest for alle, store som små, unge som ældre – og alle kan være med uanset niveau, køn og alder. - Ligesom vi gør i Odense til DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR, vil vi i Aarhus samle hele badminton-Danmark. Samtidig vil vi gøre det muligt for aarhusianerne samt byens gæster at stifte bekendtskab med badmintonsporten ude i bylivet, hvor de selv får mulighed for at gribe ketcheren ved forskellige pop up-aktiviteter, siger Badminton Danmarks direktør, Bo Jensen. Det bliver rundt omkring i Aarhus, at badmintonsporten for alvor kommer til at vise sin alsidighed. For med BWF’s nyudviklede spilkoncept, Airbadminton, bliver det nu i højere grad muligt at spille badminton udendørs. Mens net og ketcher kan være det samme som indendørs, har BWF (Det Internationale Badmintonforbund) udviklet en ny, vindmodstandsdygtig badmintonbold, der

kan blænde op for mere relaterbart badmintonspil end med en traditionel plastikbold. - Vi glæder os rigtig meget til at vise AirBadminton frem i Aarhus for det badmintoninteresserede såvel som det ikke nødvendigvis så badmintoninteresserede publikum. Det nye spillekoncept kan forhåbentlig skabe nogle aktive og sjove rammer rundt omkring i Aarhus, som kan samle folk og give dem nogle rigtig gode oplevelser, siger Bo Jensen. Der vil også blive budt på madoplevelser på pladsen foran Ceres Arena. Her forvandles indgangspartiet til en festivalplads med madboder, hvor alle smagsløg kan tilfredsstilles, før der skal heppes i hallen. Stemningen i hallen bliver derudover hjulpet godt på vej af diverse skoleklasser fra Aarhusområdet. Skoleklasserne deltager i en konkurrence, hvor de vælger et land (enten et herre- eller damelandshold), som de hepper på under de indledende gruppekampe. Den klasse, som laver det bedste ”heppeshow” under gruppekampene, vinder en præmie til klassekassen. Desuden kan klasserne deltage i en skolebadmintonturnering op til Thomas & Uber Cup i maj måned, ligesom der under verdensmesterskaberne spilles en ungdomsholdturnering. Alt dette skal være med til at gøre Aarhus til Smilets badmintonby og promovere badminton i Danmark, Europa og resten af verden.

- Der venter en meget lang og hård periode foran os, vores samarbejdspartnere og frivillige, og kun i fællesskab kan vi skabe en fantastisk event her på dansk grund, som når ud i verden. Men det er jeg overbevist om, at vi sammen kan opnå. Der er ingen tvivl om, at det er stort for et land som Danmark at have DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR, som er verdens næstældste badmintonturnering og rangeret som en af de otte største i verden. Det kan vi være rigtig stolte af og hente god erfaring og viden fra. Men Thomas & Uber Cup er bare størst, fordi vi her får mulighed for at heppe på Danmark som landshold. Det giver en helt anden fællesskabsfølelse, og den vil vi gøre alt for at understøtte, så vores herre- og damelandshold virkelig føler, at de spiller på hjemmebane, og så danskerne kan mærke, at denne store begivenhed er på dansk grund for første gang nogensinde, siger Bo Jensen. Forsalget til Thomas & Uber Cup begynder torsdag den 17. oktober til DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR. Billetterne vil kun være i fysisk salg, hvilket betyder, at de kun er til at købe i billetkontoret i Odense Idrætshal under DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR. Fredag den 1. november sættes billetterne til salg elektronisk på ticketmaster.dk. Du kan læse meget mere om Thomas & Uber Cup på www.denmark2020.dk. Badminton Danmark, Aarhus Event, Sport Event Denmark og BWF glæder os til at se jer.

Vind en tur

til WORLD TOUR FINALERNE i Kina!

ROAD TO GUANZHOU: En rejse til Kina i uge 50 i december 2020 - Hvordan lyder det? Det er nemlig lige præcis det, du kan vinde i Badminton Danmarks Thomas & Uber Cup Konkurrence. Hvordan deltager jeg? • Hvis du er U11-U19 spiller og på Ranglisten, så deltager du faktisk allerede. • Men du kan løbende forbedre dine chancer for at vinde turen, det styrer du helt selv. • For at ende med at være en af de heldige vindere skal du løbende optjene point til Thomas & Uber Cup konkurrencelisten. Den finder du på BadmintonPlayer.dk. • Her finder du også alle vilkår for konkurrencen. Hvad vinder jeg? Konkurrencen giver 10 ungdomsspillere muligheden, turen betalt, for at tage med på en fantastisk rejse til Kina med landsholdsspillerne og nogle erfarne rejseguides fra Badminton Danmark. Du skal nemlig af sted uden dine forældre. Her kommer du til at opleve de spændende World Tour Finaler, der altid byder på verdensklassebadminton og de største, internationale stjerner er altid samlet her. På turen vil der, udover masser af badminton, også være en række kulturelle indslag, så du kommer til at opleve Kina fra sin bedste og mest underholdende side. Såvel kulturelt som kulinarisk. • Vi skal træne på kinesisk • Vi skal bo på kinesisk • Vi skal leve på kinesisk Som en ekstra bonus får du lov til at opleve finalerne på en helt anden måde, da du vil komme med backstage og få unikke oplevelser med de danske spillere, der spiller med i turneringen.

Hvornår og hvordan finder I vinderne? Konkurrencen løber fra d. 1. oktober 2019 til d. 1. maj 2020 og vinderne vil blive udvalgt under Thomas and Uber Cup i Aarhus. Ligger du højt på Konkurrencelisten har du større chancer for at vinde. Hvordan vinder jeg? • Du kan også læse mere om konkurrencen, hvordan du optjener point og se ranglisten på badminton.dk/tourchina • Du får direkte besked om du har vundet.

| BADMINTON DANMARK 43

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Vittinghus and Gemke: Preparations and rituals before the big moments