Carolina Marín
AFTER OVERCOMING THE HARDEST MONTHS IN HER PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE, THE SPANISH OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND THREE-TIME BADMINTON WORLD CHAMPION IS DETERMINED TO BRING HOME GOLD FROM TOKYO. AND, AS SHE SAYS, “I CAN BECAUSE I THINK I CAN”
La campeona olímpica de bádminton se prepara para volver con el oro de Tokio The Olympic badminton champion is determined to bring home gold from Tokyo
When you think about Tokyo, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Without a doubt, it’s how much I want to win the gold medal.
How did the Olympic Games moving to 2021 affect you?
For me, it was a release. My personal circumstances were very difficult, and knowing that I was going to have more time to prepare was a relief. I know that for the vast majority of athletes, adding on another year of preparation has been difficult. It might have been for me, but, in my case, the personal stuff had a big influence.
While you were still recovering from your knee injury, you had to deal with another hiatus because of the pandemic. How have you adapted your training to stay fit?
After the quarantine, I said that I’d never gone so long before without picking up a racket. Five days after the injury, I was back on the court working out as best I could. The good thing was that we tested my physical capabilities. Thanks to some equipment that my team sent me in Huelva, I was able to maintain and even exceed my usual level at different times during the year.
You were just 14 when you went to the highperformance centre (CAR). What was it like to spend so much time at home again?
It was strange. It had been years since I’d spent so much time in Huelva, plus it was in circumstances that meant that when I was at home with my mother, we didn’t even give each other a hug or kiss, just to be safe. Anyway, I’m grateful to have been there and to feel that, even though I couldn’t be with all of my family, I was closer to them than usual.
How have the experiences of this past year changed you as a person? Would you say there’s a new Carolina?
Personally, I’m a lot more mature. When I got injured, I thought that nothing worse could ever happen to me, but I lost my father in 2020, which made me realise what really matters to me. It helped me to give each thing the importance it deserves.
How did you feel when you were competing again?
I wasn’t prepared mentally. I was very eager and, in terms of sport, I was fine, but my father’s death was too close and I needed time. The tournaments in late 2020 made me realise that I needed to give myself some space. The ones I played in January confirmed this, because the results were very good, with two titles and a final in three tournaments.
What is your daily routine today, at a time when you are heading towards Tokyo?
I have double training sessions at the CAR in
Madrid, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, plus gymnastics, physiotherapy and psychological sessions during the week.
How does an athlete who demands so much from herself prepare mentally?
Like that: by demanding so much from myself. If my team and I do this, it’s because we know that we can achieve what we set out to. The important things are the preparation and to not lose focus.
Where did your saying “I can because I think I can” come from? When did you first realise the transcendence of its meaning?
I developed it with my former psychologist. I realised that if I truly believe in what I want to do and internalise the steps until I achieve it, I’ll be very close to doing it. In turn, working at it daily leads us to it.
You’ve become one of the biggest icons in women’s sport. How do you deal with that responsibility?
I think I’m not aware of it, because I live in a routine of training, competitions, and the like, which doesn’t really allow me to stop to see what’s going on. What I can tell you is that I’m very proud that my sport and I have been recognised like that, and that what I do serves as an example for some people.
Besides the Olympic Games, the Badminton World Championship is the other big event of the year, and it’s actually going to be played in your city. What do you expect it to be like to play at home, in Huelva 2021?
I’m so looking forward to it. If everything goes well, maybe the stands will be full. I hope so. Being able to play a World Cup in your city is something that very few athletes get to experience.
Did you ever think that you’d be playing in a sports centre named after you?
No way. When I was little, I dreamed of winning tournaments: World Cups, European games, Olympic medals... But something like that was unimaginable, at least in my case.
Statistics and even big data have become important components in preparing to compete. How is sport changing thanks to innovation?
As in all areas, technology allows us to improve our work. In my case, it helps us to have more information about very many areas that we want to monitor.
What do you imagine your future will be like after badminton?
Truthfully, I don’t know. As I mentioned, right now I’m so focused on my day-to-day work and getting prepared for this year’s big events that I don’t think about it. But I’d like to stay involved in sport.