Reluctant To Retire Due To Severe Knee Injury, Carolina Marin Struggles To Rise

JAKARTA - Spanish women's singles Carolina Marin, the gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is trying to be able to compete again in world elite tournaments at the right time.

Quoted from an official statement from the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Thursday, Marin said he was undergoing rehabilitation after suffering anterior cruciatum (ACL) ligament injury in the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics, August.

I don't want it (European Championships) to be my obsession, but it is a big target in the future. I would love to compete there, at home (the country) me and with all my friends, said Marin, who has hopes of a full recovery at the 2026 European Badminton Championships (Euro).

Regarding his current injury, he said it was getting better enough. However, he did not deny that he had thought about retiring due to a knee injury or ACL for the third time.

Previously, the three-time world champion had recovered from two ACL injuries in 2019 and 2021.

When my knee was seriously injured for the third time, I was sure I would retire. But after a lot of thinking, I realized that I would be disappointed if I was forced to retire due to injury," Marin said.

Last month, the 31-year-old badminton told media crew in Madrid, Spain, that he would take the time to return to compete.

No one is in a hurry, but his rehabilitation (I am undergoing) is continuous. The important thing is to build (fitness and strength) muscles first," Marin said.

"I did it step by step. I want to retire on the pitch, but I'm not in a hurry," he added.