Carolina Marín announced her retirement from professional badminton on Thursday. The Spaniard will not take part in the 2026 European Championship in Huelva, an event that was supposed to mark her farewell at home.
The decision, as explained by the player herself, is due to the condition of her knee and the priority of preserving her quality of life. "I do not want to put my body at risk for this," she stated in the statement announcing her retirement.
Marín thus closes a career marked by three world titles, four European titles, and the Olympic gold medal in Rio 2016. Her last official competition was the Paris 2024 Olympics, which she reached after overcoming two anterior cruciate ligament tears in 2019 and 2021.
Despite not competing, the player has confirmed that she will be present in Huelva during the European Championship week to participate in various public events. "I wanted the journey to end in Huelva, and it will," she pointed out. The organization will soon announce the schedule of these events.
In her message, Marín also dedicated words to her team and family: "This journey would not have been possible without each of the people who have been part of my team and my family. Thank you for never letting me fall."