Danish pair repeats golden European double

GLASGOW, APRIL 30. Peter Gade and Camilla Martin, badminton's famous love couple, won European gold medals on the same day for the second successive time when they defended their singles titles with very contrasting performances.

Martin, the world champion, had to struggle with herself and her mental and physical tiredness, as well as her Swedish opponent, Marina Andrievskaya, before becoming the first player to win the European women's singles three times.

Gade, the world No. 1, who was scheduled to play simultaneously and alongside his girl-friend, gave a far fresher performance than her, containing far too much speedy court coverage and too many sudden rapier attacks for the Olympic champion, Poul-Erik Hoyer.

Gade's winning margin was 15-5, 15-11, and Hoyer, who had not competed for two months during which his wife had been seriously ill, clearly has some way to go before regaining full match fitness.

Martin's scoreline was 13-10, 11-3, and it might have been closer still had not Andrievsakaya unaccountably let drop a high clear into court on her game point at 10-9. But for that the contest might have developed into a dangerously long drawn out affair.

``I'm glad it's all over - I had to yell at myself at times,'' said Martin, who also indulged in slapping, cursing and head- shaking to keep her tired body working.

By contrast, Gade might well have won more easily had he not started to miss with a few acrobatic jump smashes, allowing his Danish compatriot to climb back from 4-11 to 9-12.

But he was generous to the colleague with whom he will be trying to help Denmark win the Thomas Cup world team title for the first time in Kuala Lumpur next month (May 11-21).

``In the first game I played about as well as I can,'' Gade said. ``But it was my hardest match, because we know each other so well.''

The success gave Denmark, which won the team event on Monday, their fourth European title out of four, because in the day's opening encounter Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen won the mixed doubles.

Later Denmark came within just a few points of winning all six titles - something which has been achieved only once before in the 32-year history of the European championships.

But it managed five when Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen ended the hopes of Sweden's Par-Gunnar Jonsson in his last Europeans, beating the 36-year-old and his partner Peter Axelsson in straight games.

Denmark then looked on the brink of the sixth when the top-seed Rikke Olsen and Helene Kirkegaard led 8-6 in the final game against Joanne Goode and Donna Kellogg.

But in the final few points of the tournament the English pair pushed through to win 7-15, 15-10, 15-8 and narrowly prevent the clean sweep.

- AFP

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