BEIJING: Lee Chong Wei won the silver medal in the badminton men's singles after losing in the final to China’s Lin Dan 12-21, 8-21.

The world No 2 lost in two straight sets, faltering to Lin Dan, who remains the top men’s singles shuttler in the world.

In previous clashes between the two, Lin Dan had won nine times while Chong Wei had won five times.

The last time a Malaysian shuttler won a medal at the Olympics was in Atlanta in 1996 when Rashid Sidek took the bronze in the men’s singles and Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock won the silver for the men’s doubles.

Rashid’s brothers Razif and Jailani won Malaysia’s first Olympic medal in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992 when they won a bronze in the men’s doubles.

Chong Wei got to the final by beating South Korean Lee Hyun-il, 21-18, 13-21, 21-13, while Lin Dan defeated fellow countryman Chen Jin in the semi-final, 21-12 , 21-18.

Despite failing to get the gold medal, Chong Wei is set to obtain RM300,000 from the Government for winning the silver medal. The Government had promised RM1mil as an incentive to any athlete who returns with an Olympic gold medal; RM300,000 for silver and RM100,000 for bronze.