Pedersen: "Next Danish generation needs to be more professional"

Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl (L) of Denmark celebrate

Christinna Pedersen is a popular figure in world badminton. One of the best players in the paired events – she’s ranked No.3 in women’s doubles(with Kamilla Rytter-Juhl) and No.4 in mixed doubles(with Joachim Fischer-Nielsen), the Dane has a string of accomplishments to her credit, including the bronze medal at the World Championships (2009) and the recent London Olympics. The recent months have been particularly fruitful, as she and Fischer won the BWF Superseries Finals at Guangdong (beating the Olympic gold medallists twice) and the Malaysia Open Superseries. She talks to Dev S Sukumar about her recent performances:

You’ve had a great season in the second half of 2012. Anything special in training that helped you win so consistently?

After the Olympics, I had a small operation in my stomach and therefore I did not play any tournament before the Denmark Open. I think both mixed and ladies doubles went well from French Open (we reached the women’s doubles final in France) because we wanted so much to come back after the Olympics. And we did a lot of good practise.

What difference did the Olympic bronze make to you, personally and professionally?

I will not say that the medal did make a big difference for me. Of course, I am really happy and proud of the medal. With the medal, I can now say to myself: ‘I did it, I won a big medal for me and my country’.

Your recollections of the Olympics – you were close to winning the semi-final against Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei, but lost narrowly. Does that loss hurt? Or did the bronze medal compensate for the semifinal loss?

It did hurt right after. Of course, I was really disappointed but I decided with myself and Joachim and our coach Lars Uhre that we should win that bronze medal the day after — and we did. It was a big win for us. It was the first time a Danish badminton team won the bronze medal. Many from Denmark have lost that game and got a fourth place.

Could you give us a brief idea of your physical training?

For me it’s really important (to have) power in my legs. I focus on that because when I am feeling strong I can move faster around the court.

What do you think of the top Chinese pairs? In your opinion, how do they manage to deliver every time at important tournaments like the World Championships and Olympics?

They have a really strong team with many great top players. In each category, they have at least two and often three players/pairs and all of them can make it to the semifinals or final almost every time.

How do you rate the BWF World Superseries victory last year? You beat the Olympic gold medallists in both matches. Was that one of your best tournament wins?

The Superseries Finals was for me a great tournament. I don’t know if it was the best. But in ladies’ doubles, we won our semifinal against the Olympic gold medal winners which, of course, was a great win. Also, because it was at their home ground in China. The mixed was also really great. We managed to beat the Olympic gold medallists twice.

What made you choose to become a doubles player?

It was an easy call for me. I was best in doubles from a very young age and I got some good skills which help me to become a top senior player.

Growing up, who were your main influences in your badminton career?

My parents have helped me a lot. They did not push me in the negative way, but they were always behind me. And my club where it all began — Gug Badminton Club (in Aalborg city) gave me the chance to be good at a young age before I moved to the national center in Copenhagen.

What do you think is the future of badminton in Europe? Why is Europe able to produce good doubles teams but few singles players?

I can only speak for Denmark. I think the next generation in Denmark needs to be even more professional about their sport. Right now we only have one ladies doubles in the top. Only one men’s doubles and 1-2-3 mixed doubles. We have many players in the top 25-30 but it takes a lot to become a good and safe top 10 player in the world.

Could you tell us about your hobbies and family and how you spend your free time away from the court?

I like to spend a lot of time with some good friends. Maybe going out for a movie or relaxing in a cafe in the city. I also like to visit my family — they live 3-4 hours’ drive from Copenhagen.

What are the secrets to a successful mixed doubles partnership? Your thoughts on your two partners: Joachim Fischer and Kamilla Rytter-Juhl?

We know each other very well. We know what to do and what we need to improve. We are very serious.