Chinese badminton star Lin Dan draws big crowds in Riocentro
The double Olympic champion is one of the biggest names in Chinese sport and is closing in on a third gold medal
In pavilion four of Riocentro, large groups of Chinese fans came to support Lin Dan in action (Photo: Rio 2016)
To borrow the old MGM slogan, Rio 2016 has more stars than heaven. As well as names like Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, both massive draws around the world, some athletes in this year's Olympic Games have a more regional following, such as potential gold medallists table tennis, wrestling and badminton.
Rio-time updates: follow the action with our daily liveblog
In badminton, the biggest name of all may be Lin Dan, the five-time world champion and double Olympic gold medallist from China.
"He is a hero in our country," says 59-year-old Sun Xiao Guang, who has come all the way from the province of Fuijan to watch his idol play.
Lin Dan is one of the most successful players in badminton history (Photo:Getty Images/ Laurence Griffiths)
On Sunday (14 August) in the Riocentro badminton venue, a group of about 40 Dan fans from São Paulo were cheering on their hero to success against Tien Minh Nguyen of Vietnam, all of them wearing shirts printed with the Chinese flag.
Another group of Chinese supporters who live in Rio de Janeiro were also in the standards to watch Dan power through to the quarter-finals.
Malaysian Lee leads challenge to China's dominance in badminton
Lee Chong Wei and Carolina Marin confirmed as top seeds for badminton
India's badminton stars fail to shine at Rio 2016
They may be more restrained than their Brazilian counterparts in terms of cheering and jeering, but that doesn't make them any less fanatic when it comes to supporting their man, 40-year-old engineer Shen Huanhuan explained.
"We support like the Brazilians, with a lot of emotion, but here inside the heart."
The stands of Riocentro were packed with Chinese residents in Brazil (Photo: Rio 2016)
