Carolina Marín, one of the greatest badminton players of all-time, three-time world champion and gold medal in Rio 2016, has announced her retirement at the age of 32, to focus on her health. Marín suffered a serious knee injury in the Paris 2024 semifinal that forced her to retire and therefore ending her career.
"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", Marín posted.
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Marín hadn't competed since her injury in August 2024, but was aiming to return to the European Championship in her home city of Huelva, precisely in a stadium bearing her name. "I wanted us to see each other one last time on the court, but I don't want to risk my body for it."
Marín said once that she wanted to end her career on the court. "I'm aware of my decision. I wanted my end as a player to have been different, but in life, things don't always go as planned, and we have to accept that", And, in a way, she did finish her career on the court, in Paris, even though 'we didn't know that then', she said.
Had her not sustained the injury, Marín would have surely beaten her opponent He Bingjiao (she was leading 31-19 at the moment of her injury) and would have secured at least a silver medal in Paris.
Among the many achievements by Marín, she became the only non-Asian female player to win Olympic gold in badminton (Rio 2016), holds the record for most weeks as World No. 1, 66 weeks, and won seven gold medals in the European Championships, between 2014 and 2024.