Source: REUTERS/Arko Datta
[Saba Sports News] This week, Shi Yuqi achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing 100,000 world ranking points, joining an elite group of players that includes Lee Chong Wei, Chen Long, Kento Momota, and Viktor Axelsen. However, this development has generated surprise and curiosity among some fans regarding the absence of another badminton icon, Lin Dan, from this list. Widely recognized as the greatest player in badminton history, Lin Dan boasts numerous Olympic and World Championship titles, yet his world ranking points never reached the 100,000 threshold. Some media outlets have attempted to explain this anomaly, pointing out that on June 21, 2012, when Lin Dan topped the men’s singles world ranking, his score was 93,313 points—a figure that would only rank him third under the current scoring system. This discrepancy is primarily due to the differences in scoring systems between various badminton competitions at that time and now. Currently, the championship points for the Olympics and World Championships are set at 13,000, while Super 1000, 750, and 500 champions earn 12,000, 11,000, and 9,200 points respectively. Under such a system, a player who wins the Olympics or World Championships in a given year, along with multiple Super 1000 titles and other major competitions, could potentially accumulate over 120,000 points. However, under the scoring rules in effect during Lin Dan’s peak, the maximum possible score was capped at around 105,000 points, making it far more challenging to surpass the 100,000-point milestone. Moreover, Lin Dan’s reduced participation in high-intensity competitions after the 2012 London Olympics further contributed to his failure to achieve this milestone during his playing career.