|
Peter Gade Christensen, Denmark
| | | | Destination: |
|
| |
2000 Sydney Olympics badminton competition |
| Traveling from: | |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
|
Personal: | | Age: |
23
|
| Height: |
6'0"
|
| |
Peter Gade, as he's more widely known, started playing badminton at age 4. By 6
he knew it was his calling. Gade's goal of becoming the world junior champion
became an obsession, so much so that his 1994 upset at the junior world
championships when he was 17 nearly destroyed him. With the help of a sports
psychologist, he was able to put badminton into perspective. And by May 1998, he
had become the No. 1-ranked player in the world. He remained atop the rankings
for 62 consecutive
weeks
|
| Achievements: |
| 2000 | Chinese Taipei Open, 1st, singles |
| 2000 | Korea Open, 1st, singles |
| 1999 | World Grand Prix Finals, 1st, singles |
| 1999 | World Championships, lost in semifinals, singles |
| 1999 | Sudirman Cup, 2nd, singles |
| 1999 | Japan Open, 1st, singles |
| 1999 | All-England Open, 1st, singles |
| 1998 | World Grand Prix Finals, 2nd, singles |
| 1998 | Danish Open, 1st, singles |
| 1998 | Malaysian Open, 1st, singles |
| 1998 | European Championships, 1st, singles |
| 1998 | Swiss Open, 1st, singles |
| 1998 | Japan Open, 1st, singles |
| 1997 | World Grand Prix Finals, lost in singles
semifinals
|
| 1997 | Hong Kong Open, 1st, singles
|
| 1997 | Danish Open, 2nd, singles
|
| 1997 | German Open, 1st, singles
|
| 1997 | U.S. Open, 2nd, singles
|
| 1997 | Malaysian Open, 2nd, singles
|
| 1997 | World Championships, lost in singles
quarterfinals
|
| 1997 | Chinese Taipei Open, 1st, singles
|
| 1996 | Scottish Open, 1st, singles
|
| 1995 | Scottish Open, lost in singles
semifinals
|
| 1994 | World Junior Championships, 1st, doubles (with Peder
Nissen)
|
| Currently: |
After briefly losing his No. 1 ranking to Sun Jun of China in 1999, Gade ended
this year back on top. And as of June 1 he was still No. 1. Sun Jun, the 1999
World Champion, defeated Gade at the Sudirman Cup in 1999, as well as in the
World Grand Prix Finals and Copenhagen Masters in 1998. The two should be the
top contenders for gold in
Sydney.
| They Said It? |
"There is always pressure on me to win, but I always play my own game,
which is basically made up of attacking and deceptive shots. One of my strongest
points is that I dare to use unorthodox shots in pressure situations when others
would not risk it. This unpredictability worries opponents, but I often come
into conflict with coaches who do not want me to play such risky shots."
--Peter
Gade
|
|
|
