Chinese badminton's "Super Dan" Lin Dan announced his retirement on social media on July 4.

"From 2000 to 2020, after 20 years, I have to say goodbye to the national team. It is challenging to say it out loud," the two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion said on Weibo, Chinese social media.

Lin had a lackluster performance entering the Tokyo Olympic cycle and encountered many challenges in the Olympic qualification process. But the 37-year-old didn't give up and trained hard to reach his fifth Olympic Games. However, the Tokyo Olympic Games were postponed by one year due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, further casting a shadow on Lin's journey to Tokyo.

After this year's All England Open in March, Lin continued to train with the Chinese national team. However, the Badminton World Federation postponed major tournaments and an old injury still dogged him, forcing him to retire, according to the Chinese Badminton Association.