RASMUSSEN BEATS HOYER AND STUER FOR THE DANISH NATIONAL TITLE

February 2, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Peter Rasmussen, one of Denmark's new badminton sensations in men's singles, got past 1996 Olympic gold medalist Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen and 1992 Olympic bronze medalholder Thomas Stuer- Lauridsen at the Danish national badminton championships to become the 1997 Danish men's singles champion.

Rasmussen eliminated Hoyer in the semifinals and then defeated Stuer in the championship match.

Rasmussen, who plays more in the mold of the jump-smashing Asians than in the subtle European style, is on the comeback trail after suffering a serious injury late last year in training. He won the five-star Japan Open in mid-January of this year, one of four consecutive elite men's singles titles taken by Danish players.

In the men's singles finals, Rasmussen dropped the first game to Stuer, the winner of the recent six-star Korean Open title, 12-15, but came back in rousing fashion in the second game, winning at 15-4. The decider was a closer affair with Rasmussen taking it at 15-11.

Peter Gade-Christensen, the other new Danish star and winner of the five-star Taipei Open, was eliminated in the quarterfinals by another Danish up-and-comer, Kenneth Jonassen.

Camilla Martin, Denmark's lone women's singles superstar, beat Mette Sorensen 11-5 and 11-6 in the finals to take the Danish title in that event.

In men's doubles, the new pairing of veterans Jon Holst-Christensen and Michael Sogaard served notice that they will be a force to be reckoned with as they play together regularly. Holst and Sogaard defeated the Danish Open champions Thomas Stavngaard and Jim Laugessen in the championship match, 15-7 and 15-10.

Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen and Marlene Thomsen took the women's doubles crown with their 15-10 and 15-9 victory over Helene Kirkegaard and Rikke Olsen, while in the mixed doubles finals, Thomas Stavngaard and Ann Jorgensen upset world Grand Prix Finals champions Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen 15-17, 15-10 and 15-8.

*** The information for this NEW SHUTTLENWS report was supplied by CUTISAN LABORATORIUM A/S of Denmark (cutisan@pegasus.ping.dk). ***