After many years, the experienced men’s singles player is still going strong as his rankings and recent performances have shown. How will he fight for medals in the upcoming European Championships?
At 35, Danish Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus still has its place among the world’s top players. After starting off his year with show-stopping performances, The Dane has not given up yet and all efforts have already paid off as the results show. Preparation is key and so despite the hectic beginning of the year and the obstacles that the pandemic might bring, Vittinghus feels confident and ready for the big event.
- My preparations have been a bit shorter than normal leading up to a championship because of quarantine after Orléans Masters and a little bit of off time for Easter, but apart from that it’s been pretty normal build up and generally this year has been good in terms of training, so I feel well prepared going into the event, Vittinghus explained.
With most players having their eyes set on the Olympics, the first few months of 2021 have been quite busy, and the European Championships are about to kick off. As one of the last main events in the build-up to Tokyo, the continent’s stars are eager to fight for those points and, of course, the treasured medals.
Still standing strong
Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus is no stranger to final showdowns. His impressive career has seen him delivering memorable performances and after 16 years as a senior player, it looks like he still has big plans and enough ambition to take on any rival that steps in his way. If there’s one thing that keeps Vittinghus going, it is his grand passion for badminton.
-My love of the game is what keeps me motivated. I simply just love to play and compete, so I want to do it for as long as I can and as long as it makes sense in terms of my family life. But even when I quit pro badminton, I want to carry on playing on a lower level.
It seems that for now, quitting professional badminton is not on his imminent plans. Vittinghus is still standing strong as a strong fourth in the European men’s singles rankings, and as the number 20 in the world ranking. In his recent games against European and international stars, he has demonstrated a sleek style and outstanding actions that have taken him all the way up to semifinals and finals.
The battle to the podium
Looking at his most recent achievements, it is no difficult to imagine him getting very close to the podium. Vittinghus did not manage to make it to the semis at the All England Open, losing to Lee Zii Jia in the quarter finals, but the 2021 Orléans Masters saw him reaching the semifinals in which he lost to fellow Dane Mads Christophersen.
His most recent remarkable feat took place in the 2021 TOYOTA Thailand Open where he battled some of the world’s best, and victory after victory he succeeded in getting to the grand final in which after a hazardous clash with defending European champion Viktor Axelsen, Vittinghus didn’t get to secure the final triumph. Still, he is looking forward to go all out while keeping in mind what he has learnt from past European Championships.
-One thing I’ve learned is that winning a medal is not easy. Championships are a bit different from the open events and I’ve only succeeded once in winning a medal, so I have a lot of respect for the difficulty of winning one, Vittinghus stated.
In the 2017 European Championships that took place in his native Denmark, he earned a bronze medal after a memorable match against English legend Rajiv Ouseph. Vittinghus understands that bagging one of the top prizes is no easy task, but his experience might be an advantage point in the tournament. He could have to face other veteran players who would have similar knowledge in that sense, such as Thomas Rouxel and Brice Leverdez, but younger players such as Viktor Axelsen, Toma Junior Popov, Mark Caljouw, and the fellow Danes that occupy the top seed spots are strong rivals to be reckoned. Yet, Vittinghus sure knows what he is aiming for.
-My aim for the tournament is quite simple: to stand on the podium on Sunday.
The 2021 European Championships will take place in Kyiv, Ukraine from
27 April to 2 May. For more information about the 2021 European Championships, click
here.