HOYER ENDS 1996 A WINNER AGAIN
Thomas Lund Retires A Champion
by Mike Grossman (from reports filed by YANG YANG Badminton Equipment and cutisan@pegasus.ping.dk)

December 29, 1996 (New Shuttlenws) - Olympic men's singles gold medalist Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark ends the year 1996 with another title. Earlier today, the Danish ace took the Copenhagen Master's tournament crown with a 15-10, 15-10 finals victory over Hu Zhilan of China.

Hoyer had won the Olympic gold medal in early August but had gone without a championship since then, despite reaching one finals and several semifinals. At his last outing earlier thi month in Jakarta, Indonesia, his hopes for a World Cup title were dashed when he was stricken by food poisoning.

At this week's elite player invitational tournament in Copenhagen, Hoyer started by extracting revenge against his conqueror at the World Cup, Jeffer Rosobin of Indonesia, 15-6 and 15-10 in a Group A round-robin match. Hoyer also beat Kim Hak Kyun of Korea on his way to the finals.

Hu Zhilan, Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen of Denmark, and Budi Santoso of Indonesia were among those in Group B with Hu managing to make it to the finals.

In the women's singles finals, Camilla Martin of Denmark beat Yao Yan of China 11-7 and 11-5 to take the title, while in men's doubles, the retiring Thomas Lund of Denmark ended his competitive badminton career with the Copenhagen Masters championship when he and partner Jon Holst-Christensen defeated the Korean pair of Lee Dong Soo and Yoo Yung Sung, 17-15 and 15-10.

Lund, regarded by many as one of the best ever to play mixed doubles and the holder of many top mixed and men's doubles crowns including two world titles, is reportedly retiring because of a bad back and bad knees. His partner, Jon Holst-Christensen, is expected to continue playing but may concentrate on mixed doubles, if he can find a suitable playing partner.