Lin's retirement sent Chinese social media into overdrive over the weekend, with related topics viewed over 250 million times in just three hours on Weibo.

Considering Lin's stature in Chinese sporting history, the frenzy came as no surprise. His trophy cabinet is packed full of gold medals from two Olympic Games, five world championships, five Sudirman Cups (mixed team championship) and six Thomas Cups (men's team championship).

These days, China no longer enjoys such dominance in the sport. So, amid the deluge of tributes and best wishes for Lin, many fans warned it could be a long time before Team China produces another such superstar.

Lin leaves the court with Japan's Kento Momota ruling the roost. Having recovered from an injury sustained in a January traffic accident in Malaysia, world No 1 Momota is the hot favorite for gold at next year's Tokyo Olympics. China's hopes rest with Chen Long and Shi Yuqi.