Lin Dan was the first player to win the BWF World Championships men's singles title three times.
The Chinese left-hander won the world title in 2006, 2007, and 2009. He later added championships in 2011 and 2013, becoming the first men's singles player to win five world titles. His sequence of victories established him as one of the defining players of the early twenty-first century.
Lin Dan's principal international rival was Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei, but Lee never won the world championship. That distinction is a frequent source of confusion because the two met repeatedly in major finals and Olympic competitions.
The BWF World Championships are separate from the Olympic Games, the Thomas Cup, and regular tour events. They award individual world titles, while the Thomas Cup is a men's team competition. Lin Dan's five championships remain a specific world-championship record in men's singles.