Olympics' delay weighs heavily on older athletes

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Lin Dan

Age: 36

Event: Badminton

Despite the possibility that badminton's Olympic qualifying process will be extended now that the Games have been delayed, it remains a long shot for Lin to make the top-16 cut to qualify for his fifth Olympics in Tokyo. The fast-paced racquet sport's highly physical nature has proved too much for the two-time Olympic champion to compete consistently at the level he needs to accumulate enough ranking points.

The five-time singles world champion, who won Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games, has seen his power wane out, underlined by 21 first-round losses at international events since his last standout run at a major event – reaching the final of the 2017 world championships.

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