The best badminton player in the history of Spanish sport announces her retirement. Carolina Marín has announced through her social networks that she will not compete again.
“My path ends here. Thank you all, because in one way or another you have also been part of it. In this new adventure I will always carry with me the values that have accompanied me until now and I will try to give back to society everything it has given me during this time. “It has been a wonderful journey,” he explained.
According to the statement, after deep reflection has prioritized the well-being of his knee and has decided that it is time to withdraw and not jeopardize the quality of his future life: “I don’t want to put my body at risk for it.”
This announcement implies that the Huelva native will not compete as desired in the palace that bears her name in Huelva during the celebration of the Huelva European Championship 2026which is celebrated from April 6 to 12.
Despite her absence on the track, Carolina will go to Huelva during the week of the competition and will carry out different actions and events with the aim of giving back to her city for the support and affection received throughout her career: “I wanted the road to end in Huelva and so it will be.”
This is how TVE narrated Carolina Marín’s Olympic gold medal in Rio 2016
An unmatched legacy Carolina Marín closes a stage that transformed sport in Spain. His last official competition was the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where, despite adversity in the form of injury, he once again demonstrated his character after recovering from his two previous cruciate ligament injuries (2019 and 2021).
Looking back, the Andalusian player is proud of her career: “I leave my passion being very proud of everything I have achieved today. But more than for the titles, for having earned the respect of the world of sport, both on and off the court, and for having achieved that badminton is recognized, seen and practiced in my country.”
In addition to his Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro and the three World Cups (2014, 2015 and 2018)has been European champion seven times consecutively between 2014 and 2024 and number one in the ranking.
She was also awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in 2024, the National Sports Award in 2014 and the Gold and Bronze Medals of the Royal Order of Sports Merit (2014 and 2016), as well as the recognition of an ‘honoris causa’ doctorate from the University of Huelva.
