In the first half-year after moving out of the basement, Lin Dan's career was relatively smooth, but this good fortune did not last long. The international badminton circuit subsequently underwent a scoring reform, reverting from the 7-point system back to the 15-point system, which proved to be a fatal blow for Lin Dan. Failing to adjust his tactics in time, Lin Dan was eliminated in the first round in the following three tournaments. From the second half of 2002 onwards, he was almost always knocked out in the first round of every competition, earning him a new nickname: "Lin One Round."
The consecutive defeats left Lin Dan mentally unbalanced. He began to doubt himself and even developed a fear of competition. On one hand, he was eager to prove himself; on the other hand, he lacked confidence. At the same time, he received a more devastating piece of news: he had been "benched" by the national team. For the next six months, Lin Dan had no matches to play and could only train with many inexperienced junior players.
Being benched meant Lin Dan lost his qualification to participate in the prestigious "All England Open," a dream he had long held. At that time, he could only watch helplessly as his teammates went to compete. Like a trapped beast, Lin Dan desperately tried to break through the web of fate woven around him. He pushed himself to the limit, training frantically to overcome his inner demons and regain the opportunity to compete on the international stage.
Half a year later, Lin Dan earned the chance to participate in the Japan Open through his hard work and won the silver medal. The following year, driven by a desire to wash away the previous shame, he headed to the All England Open. He finally claimed the championship with an outstanding performance and received high praise from world-class player Peter Gade, who hailed him as "SUPERDAN." From then on, the title "Super Dan" became famous worldwide. Lin Dan had finally washed away the shame of always losing in the first round and established himself among the elite of international badminton.
It is worth noting that in his subsequent career, Lin Dan won the All England Open five more times, greatly compensating for the regret of missing out on the tournament previously.
