Marin wins historic third badminton world crown
I feel really happy, I cannot describe my emotions now, I have so many inside
Carolina Marin
nanjing — Carolina Marin claimed a slice of history as the Spaniard became the first woman to win three badminton world titles with an emphatic victory over PV Sindhu of India on Sunday.
The aggressive Marin is now the reigning world and Olympic champion thanks to an imperious 21-19, 21-10 win in Nanjing.
There were tears of joy from the 25-year-old Marin after her victory over the unfortunate Sindhu in the women’s final.
The aggressive Marin is now the reigning world and Olympic champion thanks to a ruthless 21-19, 21-10 win. The all-action Spaniard adds the 2018 world crown to her titles in 2014 and 2015, and the Olympic gold she won at Sindhu’s expense at Rio 2016.
“I feel really happy, I cannot describe my emotions now, I have so many inside,” said Marin, who was imperious all week despite being a modest seventh in the seedings.
Third seed Sindhu, 23, well known for her never-say-die spirit, has now suffered a string of near-misses.
As well as disappointment at Rio, Sindhu was beaten in last year’s World Championships final by Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara and had to settle for silver at this year’s Commonwealth Games too.
Sindhu said she could not live with the pace of Marin.
“She has that speed. Today she started fast and I was prepared for everything,” said the Indian, who owes her athleticism to volleyballplaying parents.
She described another finals defeat as “frustrating and quite sad”.
“But I need to come back stronger,” she said.
There was nothing between the pair coming into the final in Nanjing — in their 12 previous encounters they had won six each.
And so it was in the first game too, as the rivals went toe-to-toe, the more attacking Marin, the seventh seed, bellowing after each winning point.
Sindhu initially edged ahead before Marin dragged her back to 16-16.
It was too close to call and the chair umpire had a job on his hands as the two foes repeatedly tried to throw one another off on Marin’s serve — the Spaniard wanting to get on with the game quickly but Sindhu refusing to let her in an attempt to kill the momentum.
Sindhu hit into the net to allow Marin to capture the first game in 27 minutes and she took that momentum into the second to make history.
Aside from Marin, Japan and China dominated the last day of action. Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara won the women’s doubles title in a thrilling all-Japanese final, while the hosts took gold in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles. —