Carolina Marin Dedicates Latest Win to Late Father: "I Love You Daddy"

Parents are often at the forefront of a young athlete's supporters. In an emotional moment, the Spanish professional badminton player Carolina Marin looked into the camera lens with the words: "Te amo papi," which translates to "I love you daddy." Her win came only months after losing her father to illness.

Carolina Marin Wins the Women's Singles at the Yonex Thailand Open

The 27-year-old Spanish athlete boosted her chances of winning back-to-back gold medals in Tokyo. At the Yonex Thailand Open women's singles tournament, Marin won against Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu-ying. The final score was 21-9, 21-16, lasting 42 minutes.

Marin was determined to win from the beginning. She showed off clever net work, razor-sharp smashes, and an unmatched level of agility and aggression on the court, Straits Times reported. Her opponent admitted that she could not keep the pace, adding that Marin's playing style has always been fast and aggressive. "She put a lot of pressure on me that day," Tai Tzu-ying said of her opponent.

Marin and Tzu-ying last competed at the All England Open in Birmingham. In the semi-finals tournament, Marin lost to Tai Tzu-ying. The All England Open's final weekend, Spain's government declared a state of emergency, and Marin had to return home. During this time, Marin's concern shifted from her badminton calendar to her father's failing health condition.

Challenges Coming into the Competition

Carolina Marin is the first non-Asian women's badminton player to win an Olympic badminton gold medal. She previously had to recover from a knee injury. She also had to struggle with a family problem, in particular with her father.

Marin was away from the court, and she revealed how much she missed the high level of international competition. She admitted that she is a very competitive person, so she really missed international badminton, "and the players, of course, I miss them a lot."

Still, she had a goal: "One more gold medal at the Olympics."

Losing Her Father While Preparing for Competition

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were postponed by a year. Marin continued to prepare for the tournament in 2021 while worrying about her father's deteriorating health, Olympic Channel reported. Marin lost her father to illness in July. "It was really tough, and right now, it is still hard," Marin revealed.

In July, the three-time World Champion shared on Twitter, a letter for her dad. She praised her father for being a hardworking man and a fighter like no other. She also shared how her dad would travel all over the world to help her achieve her dreams. "I lost important support, but I know I have a shining star who will join me wherever I go. Daddy, we will always fight together," Marin said in her emotional open letter.

Marin's latest win in Thailand showed how much she values her father. He was strong support for the badminton player, and playing with him close to her heart helped her achieve what she set her mind to.