Dipa Karmakar, India's first gymnast at the Olympic Games, has announced her decision to retire from the competition. The athlete confirmed the decision on her social media.
"After a lot of thinking, I have made the decision to retire from gymnastics. This decision wasn't easy for me, but now feels like the right time. Gymnastics has been a huge part of my life, and I am grateful for every moment, the highs, the lows, and everything in between," she wrote in a statement.
"I remember the five-year-old Dipa who was told that she could never become a gymnast because of her flat feet. Today, I feel immense pride looking at my achievements. Representing India on the world stage, winning medals, and most special of all, performing the Produnova Vault at the Rio Olympics have been the most memorable moments of my career. Today, seeing that little Dipa makes me very happy because she had the courage to dream.
Dipa recently took part in the Asian Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships and had bagged a gold medal in the Vault event. "My last victory at the Asian Gymnastics Championship in Tashkent was a turning point because until then, I thought I could push my body further, but sometimes our bodies tell us it's time to rest, even if the heart doesn’t agree," she added.
Notably, Dipa became the first Indian female gymnast to participate in the Olympic Games in 2016. She had come extremely close to winning a medal in the Rio Games in the women's vault event but finished fourth. She missed out on a bronze medal by just 0.15 points.
While she could not have created history at the Olympics, Dipa became the first Indian woman gymnast to win a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Her medal cabinet also includes a gold and a bronze in the 2018 World Cup.
The decorated Indian gymnast thanked her coaches for helping in her journey. "I want to thank my coaches, Bishweshwar Nandi Sir and Soma Ma'am, who have guided me for the past 25 years and helped me become my greatest strength. I am also very grateful for the support I received from the Tripura government, the Gymnastics Federation, the Sports Authority of India, GoSports Foundation, and Meraki Sport & Entertainment. And lastly, my family, who have always stood by me in my good and bad times.
"Even though I am retiring, my connection with gymnastics will never break. I hope to give something back to this sport—perhaps by mentoring, coaching, or supporting girls like me," she added.
