Delfs met the Englishman Ray Stevens, who was a friend and longtime competitor, and after both had won a set, Flemming Delfs took the break to change jerseys and get some massage.
But he had trouble finding his way back to his track and arrived three minutes late. According to the rules, it was equivalent to a disqualification, but the Dane was rescued by English sportsmanship.
Ray Stevens was thus dissatisfied and strongly insisted on playing for the victory, which the show’s Danish referee, Ole Mertz, eventually agreed to.
Delfs won the third and decisive set 15-6 and then delivered only one set on the way to the only World Cup triumph of his career. In the final, he probably defeated compatriot Svend Pri.
Since then, Peter Rasmussen and Viktor Axelsen with their World Cup titles in 1997 and 2017 respectively have gone to Delfs & apos; footprints as the only Danish world champions in men’s singles.
Flemming Delfs, who was famous for being able to smash just as hard with his back hand as with his forehead, also won All England in the jubilee year 1977 and became both Danish and Nordic champion.
The tall player was known for living high on his talent and technical skills, while he – also in his own judgment – never became the big slider in terms of physical training.
Flemming Delfs failed to defend his World Championship title in men’s singles when the next World Cup was held in 1980 in Jakarta. In return, he won bronze in men’s doubles with his partner, Steen Skovgaard.
Delfs also won European Championship gold in 1976, 1978 and 1980. In the latter year he won in the final over a then very young Morten Frost.
Flemming Delfs, who is a bank graduate, became director of the clothing company Patrick after his career stoppage. In 2007, he helped sell Patrick to a Belgian group.
The former badminton star today has his own company that imports, among other things, socks and t-shirts from Portugal. He lives with his wife alternately in a holiday home on South Funen and in an apartment in Svendborg.
Source: The Nordic Page
