Spanish badminton superstar Carolina Marin, who recently captured an unprecedented third world title in the women’s singles category, said during a tribute event in her hometown that she does not yet consider herself the greatest of all time.
The 25-year-old Marin, who is also the reigning Olympic gold medallist, said there is still much more for her to achieve and that once she retires she can look back and think if she is the “best or not”, reports Efe news.
She acknowledged, however, that being the greatest player ever is one of her goals and that she is ready to fight to win “even more titles.”
Marin, who stood on the balcony of Huelva’s city hall during Friday’s event while hundreds of people below chanted her name, was visibly moved by all the support.
“I only have words of gratitude for all the tributes and nice words and messages I’ve received,” said Marin, who was accompanied by her parents and relatives. “It’s wonderful to feel all this affection.”
Marin said she was currently back at a high point in her career after winning the BWF World Championships in Nanjing, China, in August and back-to-back events last month in Tokyo and Changzhou, China.
But the Spaniard, currently the world’s fifth-ranked player, acknowledged that she endured a rough patch after the Rio Olympics that saw her relinquish the No. 1 spot.
Marin said she had found her game “just in time” to win her third world title and that it “has been very important to overcome the many fears I had.”