Spain shuttler Carolina Marin has announced her retirement marking an end to her notable career in badminton. The 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist is a three-time World Championship winner and is among the world’s all-time greats in sports. Marin announced her decision via a social media post on Thursday, March 24.
Marin penned down an emotional message on her Instagram account confirming her retirement. She shared a video message and confirmed that she won’t be competing in the upcoming European Championships, which will be held in Huelva. Marin had earned a wild-card entry in the tournament. Injuries prompted the 31-year-old’s decision to retire, and she says she does not want to risk further damage to her health.
She said, “My path ends here. Thank you all, because in one way or another, you’ve also been part of it. In this new chapter, I will always carry with me the values that have guided me so far, and I will try to give back to society everything it has given me over the years. It has been a wonderful journey.”
Talking about her journey, Marin says that she played her final competitive game at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she retired hurt in the semi-finals match due to a knee injury. She went to express her gratitude towards her fans who supported her throughout her career.
Marin said she will end her journey in badminton at the Huelva tournament which symbolizes her journey ending in her home ground.
“I wanted the road to end in Huelva, and so it will be. Not with the racket in my hand, but in the city where I was born, to close a circle of many years,” she added.
She, however, mentioned that she will continue to contribute to the sport through other ways post-retirement.
Marin’s career highlights
As a Spanish shuttler, Marin has had a prolific career in the sport. She won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics after defeating India’s P.V. Sindhu in the finals match. With the win, she became the first Spanish shuttler to win an Olympic gold. Her achievements also include three world champion titles and multiple European champion honours.
Marin’s decision to retire is based on her injury history. Her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury was one of the major downfalls of her career. Due to that she withdrew midway through the Paris Olympics semifinals match. She had won the first game and was in the lead in the second one but an injury forced her to exit. She tried to make her return to the sport but the struggle from injuries was enough to limit her from taking that step.
