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Carolina Marín, 1 of the top ever badminton players, retired connected Thursday (March 26, 2026) aft the Spaniard couldn't afloat retrieve from a 3rd superior genu injury.
Marín, 32, said successful a societal media station that “my travel successful nonrecreational badminton has travel to an end.”
Marín is the lone pistillate from extracurricular Asia to triumph the Olympic singles erstwhile she won golden astatine Rio de Janeiro successful 2016. She was besides the archetypal pistillate to triumph 3 satellite championships, was ranked No. 1 for a grounds 66 weeks, and took a grounds 7 European championships.
She has not competed since the 2024 Paris Olympics erstwhile she tore the ACL successful her close genu for a 2nd clip during the semifinals. She was winning that lucifer until she collapsed successful agony connected the court. Marin tried a genu brace but lasted lone 2 much points. She was excessively injured to play the bronze medal match.
“I really did spell retired portion connected the court, successful Paris successful 2024, but we conscionable didn’t cognize it astatine that time,” Marín said connected Thursday.
She archetypal tore the ACL successful her close genu successful 2019. She recovered but ruptured the ACL successful her near genu and was incapable to support her Olympic rubric astatine Tokyo successful 2021.
Marin came from down to bushed Olympic champion Li Xuerui successful the last of the 2014 worlds, retained the rubric successful 2015 and achieved an unprecedented 3rd crown successful 2018. She wasn't lucifer until past twelvemonth by Akane Yamaguchi.
Marín made the status announcement earlier the European title to beryllium held successful her hometown of Huelva, Spain, adjacent month.
“I wanted america to spot each different for 1 past clip connected the court," she said, “but not if it meant putting my assemblage astatine risk.”
