Dipa Karmakar Retires: India's First-Ever Female Gymnast To Compete In Olympics Calls It A Day

Dipa Karmakar Retires: One of India's most famous gymnast Dipa Karmakar has decided to retire from the professional sport.

Dipa Karmakar Retires: Dipa Karmakar, India's star gymnast, announced her retirment from the sport on Monday (October 7). She explained the decision in an emotional post on social media hinting that she could take up a coaching role in the future.

"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," Dipa Karmakar said 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.

READ HERE | Dipa Karmakar Wins Gold In Gymnastics World Cup

"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," the 31-year-old added.

Dipa Karmakar Finished 0.15 Points Short Of Bronze In Rio Olympics 2016

Dipa Karmakar has the distinction of being India's first-ever gymnast to compete in Olympics. In her maiden Olympics itslef, Dipa came close to creating history as she went for the Produnova vault, one of the most dangerous vaults in the sport, but finished fourth with a total score of 15.066. Dipa, who had won the bronze medal in both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Championships in 2015, was 0.15 points short of an Olympic medal.

However, in recent seasons, injury seemed to trouble the Olympian. She had to undergo two knee surgeries and even faced a doping suspension for 21 months by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

"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," Dipa said while thanking her coaches and the government and bodies that helped her in career.