He spent the afternoon watching the Championship finals with Malaysian student Ashraf Rossli (pictured above right with Johnson) , the victim of a violent attack during the riots.

Rossli, 20, was rushed to hospital with a broken jaw after the attack, during which he was also robbed of items from his rucksack.

Rossli was attending as a guest of hosts Badminton England to watch his countryman and world number one Lee Chong Wei lose 20-22, 21-14, 23-21 to China's Olympic champion Lin Dan in men's singles final despite having two match points.

"It's a good advertisement for London and sport in this country.

"It has been a brilliant Championship," Johnson the Press Assocation.

"There is an amazing atmosphere, a huge diverse crowd and no problems at all with transport or security.

"I hope people will see after the events of last week - which we cannot minimise, people like me have got to get in and sort out the causes - but look at what we can do with a wonderful badminton event.

"I hope that message will go around the world.

"I was very pleased today to be able to welcome Ashraf, who had that terrible experience and to congratulate him on some of the nice things he has been able to say about our city."

Lin's triumph was the highlight of a day watched by a crowd of 5,488 in which China again set records, becoming the first nation successfully to defend all five world titles.

It also achieved the full set in Paris last year.


"I have never seen any badminton ever, in my life, that came anything close to that," said Johnson after Lin's victory, the fourth world title of his career.

"It was quite an extraordinary display of sport."

China won the women's singles too, when Wang Yihan, the second-seeded former All-England champion, overcame the surprise finalist, Cheng Shao Chieh, the seventh seeded Taiwanese, by 21-15, 21-10.

The opening match saw Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang win the women's doubles, and the penultimate saw Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng defend the men's doubles title, winning it for a fourth time.

The set was completed in the mixed doubles, when Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei romped away from 15-15 in the first game to win 21-15, 21-7 against the unseeded Chris Adock of England and Imogen Bankier of Scotland.

It was England's first World Championship medal for five years and the Scots first for 34 years.

"They stepped up their game and are very experienced, winning many titles. On the day they were better than us," said Bankier.

"But to play in Wembley and have this many games is really good for our confidence, especially when we look back and reflect.

"Today the atmosphere was electric.

"Hopefully all the GB players will up their training and it will be a good Olympic year.

"We hope to go one better next year.

"It's a silver medal gained and a stepping stone to next year."

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