China's Lin Dan removes sweat from his face as he plays against Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei in the men's singles badminton gold medal match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, in London.
China's Lin Dan removes sweat from his face as he plays against Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei in the men's singles badminton gold medal match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, in London. Andres Leighton, Associated Press
By Associated Press

LONDON — Lin Dan became the first man to retain the Olympic badminton singles title after winning a final that lived up to the hype.

Lin, the most decorated male player ever, beat Malaysian rival Lee Chong Wei 15-21, 21-10, 21-19 Sunday.

When Chong Wei's final shot landed long, Lin took off around Wembley Arena until he was tackled by his coaches.

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Chong Wei, who also lost in the Beijing final to Lin, slumped to the court, his hopes of winning Malaysia's first-ever Olympic gold ruined again.

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