As we are fast approaching the 2021 European Championships, we look at a champion who thought his opportunity for the title was waning, but when the chance arose, he struck!
Peter Rasmussen, already in his early twenties made a huge mark on world badminton. In our EC Legends article on Poul-Erik Høyer, we mentioned how the young Peter Rasmussen had to settle for silver at the 1996 European Championships.
A year later, he managed the unthinkable and won the 1997 World Championships in Glasgow, defeating the reigning silver and gold medallists Park Sung Woo and Heryanto Arbi along the way before overcoming the formidable Sun Jun in a gruelling final.
In 1998, Rasmussen, unfortunately, had to withdraw in the semifinal of the European Championships against Peter Gade in Sofia, Bulgaria. This led to a four year lay off due to a potentially career-ending foot injury.
The mental strength of Bushido
For any athlete who experienced being at the top of the world, coming into their peak years, to have a serious injury put an abrupt halt to all of this is psychologically tough to take. However, Rasmussen is known for studying Bushido, an ancient Japanese warrior philosophy, which he says has helped him in these difficult moments, but also at key points within a match.
-I have always joked that I am sharp as a sword, that I have the deciding strike that wins the important points, Rasmussen said.
He made his comeback in 2002 and entered the European Championships just across the bridge from Copenhagen in Malmo, Sweden. The double reigning champion Peter Gade was absent through his own injury. This was a big opportunity for Rasmussen to take the title that has eluded him, although, he had in-form players thinking exactly the same thing.
In the quarterfinal, Rasmussen took on Anders Boesen, number five in the world. At the championships, they played the scoring system of five games to seven points. The encounter came down to the final game and the in-form Boesen took a 5-1 lead, needing just two more to book his spot in the final. However, Rasmussen entered into a flow state and surged to a 7-5 win.
-All players can reach a pure state without conscious thought, where instinct dictates action. That is where you have to go if you are to use your potential optimally.
The final
Rasmussen, despite being in the same age group as Kenneth Jonassen, met him for the first time in competitive play in the final of the European Championships. Jonassen settled for bronze in 2000 and was fancying his chances against the returning Rasmussen after watching his long match against Boesen.
Jonassen came out very strong, winning 7-0 in the opening game. Rasmussen had to grind out a leveller 7-5 before Jonassen stepped up once again winning 7-3. Somehow, Rasmussen found a way once again to win another tough 7-5 game to force yet another decider.
-If you think too much about the possible moves, you obstruct yourself. The same applies to thinking about victory or defeat. You cannot think about how much you want to win without the mind automatically generating defeat as a possibility, and that creates fear. When that happens, you hold back and play cautiously, basically, you play below standard, Rasmussen explained.
There is your answer. Rasmussen played freely and without fear. After his long path back to a European final, he had nothing to lose. Clearing his mind, he was able to focus on the moment and not the trophy standing a few metres away from the court.
With Jonassen’s confidence taking a blow, it was Rasmussen’s turn to strike, sealing the title with a 7-2 final game. When adding up the points, Jonassen scored more with 26 to 24, but Rasmussen was able to pick his moments and control the outcome.
Badminton is life and life is badminton
Speaking about his opponents Boesen and Jonassen after adding a European title to his World title, he gave a thoughtful appraisal of what matters to him in his career.
-They are both great players and they achieved a great deal in their careers but I do something different. They are all focused on their results. They want to win, they want to achieve their goals, and of course, so do I. The difference is that I put my focus elsewhere. Bushido teaches that to walk "The Path" is a goal in itself. Results are places on the road that will happen as you take the journey, but they are not the focus. The process is where my focus is and it is where I differ from every other Danish Player in history.
Peter Rasmussen is certainly unique, inspiring and changing the badminton world, not only with his actions on the court but his words off it. The way many players approach the sport psychologically has been touched by the man’s career.
-I've always trained hard - perhaps too hard, too - but it's been worth it. Badminton has given me an incredible amount. I have put it this way: Badminton is life and life is badminton.
The 2021 European Championships will take place in Kyiv, Ukraine from 27 April to 2 May.