Carolina Marin

Carolina Marin has dominated women’s singles badminton, becoming an Olympic champion and multiple world and European titleholder. After securing Spain’s first silver medal at the European Junior Championships in 2009 and a gold at the European U-17 Junior Championships the same year, Carolina Marin went on to claim gold at the European Junior Championships in 2011. She made history in 2013 by becoming the first Spanish badminton player to win a Grand Prix Gold title at the London Grand Prix Gold. A pivotal year followed in 2014, when Marin secured her first European Championships title and subsequently became the first Spaniard to win a BWF World Championship title, solidifying her status as a formidable competitor on the global stage.

Marin’s dominance continued with a gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, making her the only non-Asian female player to win an Olympic badminton gold medal in women’s singles. Her unparalleled success includes three BWF World Championship titles in 2014, 2015, and 2018, making her the first female player in history to achieve this feat. She added numerous top-tier titles to her record, including the All England Open, Australian Open, French Open, and Hong Kong Open in 2015, alongside the Japan Open in both 2017 and 2018, and the China Open in 2018. Over her career, Marin has accumulated an impressive seven European Championship titles, underscoring her consistent performance as a world number one ranked player at her peak.

That same year, she won the Swiss Open title and was awarded the prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, recognizing her outstanding achievements and enduring impact on the sport.