Carolina Marin shows the heart of a champion, wins European title on return

As Kirsty Gilmour’s tap hit the net, Carolina Marin roared in celebration and sank to the court. All the pain, angst and frustration of a year seemed to melt away in tears. Wearing a shirt with the slogan ‘Vamos Carolina’, Marin’s mother, with her eyes moist, clapped from the packed stands at Gallus Municipal Centre in Madrid as the fans rose to celebrate the home girl’s record sixth European badminton title on Saturday.

PREMIUM

The title apart, it was more heartening to see Marin, 28, the three-time world champion and 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist, back to her feet and make another gritty comeback from injury; gliding, lunging and smashing through the week to let the badminton world know she was back.

Marin’s every step was scrutinised as her sport eagerly awaited her return. The big question was whether she had the mettle to mount another challenge from a career-threatening knee injury. This time it was her dominant left leg that went under the knife in June last year, preventing her from defending her Olympic title.

In the lead up to last year’s Tokyo Olympics, she had cranked up her form winning four titles, twice beating Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying in the final. However, her world was shattered in May after she was injured in training, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and menisci in her left knee. She had come through surgery and returned only 18 months earlier after rupturing the ACL in her right knee.

Crutches to courts

She had made the progress from crutches to courts in eight months, returning in September 2019 to build-up for Tokyo. Despite Covid pushing back the Olympics by a year, Marin felt destiny was playing tricks.

“I felt hopeless, but I changed my mind set after three days. I told myself it had happened for a reason. I had some difficulties in the last two years and then I had the injury some months before the Olympics. I thought this Olympics will not be the one for me, but there are only three years left until the next one. Thinking like this motivated me to recover,” the Spaniard told Badminton Europe.

Tokyo didn’t happen and she badly wanted to play in the world championships in her hometown Huelva in December last year. After all, it was Marin who put Spain on the badminton map and brought an event of such stature to her country. She tried in vain to be ready, only to withdraw days before the tournament and watch Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi win her maiden crown in her backyard. Marin had won her third world title in 2018.

When the European championships were announced in February, Marin was set for a re-start. By no means was it going to be a smooth return. She had pitched for her return against a quality field, with world No 14, Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark, and world No 20 Gilmour in the fray. She came through the grind, winning five matches, including the decider in an hour-long quarterfinal contest against world No 33 Line Højmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark.

The late fightback

The Dane led 9-5 in the third game, making Marin chase the shuttle around the court and repeatedly putting the shuttle at the net for her to lunge. Marin was up for the intense battle, feeding on the energy of the crowd. With four points in a row she was on equal footing, each time letting out her trademark war cry. She soon moved ahead from Kjaersfeldt, leading 18-10.

Against third seed Gilmour, Marin was anxious as the finish approached, glancing at her long-time coach Fernando Rivas, who too was animated by the court. The arena buzzed in anticipation before Marin closed out her first tournament win on return.

“My goal this week was just to get back and enjoy every game. I just wanted to think about getting on court and the tactic I have prepared with my coaches and team; just wanted to enjoy. To win or lose is a consequence of how you perform on the court.

“I feel extremely happy, but it’s not about winning the gold medal. Being able to come back and play my first tournament of the season is bigger. I needed to improve my game and play some matches to gain confidence. I could do that in this tournament. I will enjoy this big story with my team, friends and family right now. On Monday, we start again,” Marin said.

Now 28, and having undergone surgery on both knees, Marin would be living each day on court with a prayer on her lips. She has a game that can demolish any opponent, but she knows she doesn’t have too many years at the top ahead. There will be tougher challenges in the coming weeks in the form of the deceptive Tai Tzu Ying, great retriever Akane Yamaguchi, the power-packed PV Sindhu, young sensation An Seyoung and Chinese Olympic champion Chen Yufei. But they would all be wary that ‘fighter Marin’ is back.

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