Badminton-Lin Dan follows in hero Yang's footsteps

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Reuters) China's Lin Dan retained his world badminton title today with a masterful 21-11 22-20 success over ninth-seeded Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro and joined boyhood hero Yang Yang in the sport's record books.

Yang won back-to-back world titles in the late 1980s and until Sunday no other man had defended his crown successfully.

''I liked him a lot,'' Lin told a media conference. ''He's been my idol since I was a boy and I worked hard to follow in his footsteps.'' The Chinese has been in excellent form all week and carried it through to the final as he raced clear from 11-8 to clinch the first game readily at 21-11.

At 12-5 to Lin in the second the writing looked to be on the wall only for the brave Sony, with plenty of backing in the 10,000 strong crowd, to battle back and take a 19-17 lead.

Like a true champion, Lin moved into overdrive, produced two outstanding smashes and a super finesse at the net to stave off the crisis and head once more to triumph.

At the end, both men lay flat on their backs, outstretched and drawn with emotion.

It was a far cry from rainy Glasgow in June when Lin lost a Sudirman Cup match, albeit a dead rubber, and drew sharp words from coach Li Yongbo who questioned his commitment.

All that is in the past and Lin is already looking ahead to next year's Olympics in Beijing and the chance to erase from the memory the Athens Games where he lost in the first round.

He told reporters: ''I want to start getting the foundations in, playing better in every tournament and getting the qualifying points.'' REUTERS SSC BD1639