Trailblazing gymnast Dipa Karmakar on Monday announced her retirement from the sport, thus bringing to an end a career that broke a number of glass ceilings for Indians. Dipa was the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics and she even missed out on a Games medal by a whisker. She is one of only five women in the world to have mastered the Produnova vault.

"After much thought and reflection, I have decided to retire from competitive gymnastics. This is not an easy decision, but it feels like the right time," she said in a statement. "Gymnastics has been at the centre of my life for as long as I can remember, and I am grateful for every moment—the highs, the lows, and everything in between."

Karmakar, 31, became the first Indian female gymnast to compete at the Olympics when she qualified for Rio 2016. She was also the first Indian to compete at the Olympics in gymnastics overall since the 1064 Tokyo Olympics. She ended up missing out on a bronze medal by a whisker finished fourth in the vault, with an overall score of 15.066. Switzerland's Giulia Steingruber finished third with 15.216, which meant that Karmakar missed out on bronze by just 0.15 points.

'Last victory at Asian Championships was a turning point'

Karmakar failed a dope test in October 2021 after which she was suspended for 21 months. She returned to action last year and won gold at the 2024 Asian Championships in Tashkent. She said that the win was a “turning point” as she felt in the event that she couldn't push her body any more. “My last victory at the Asian Championships was a turning point,” said Karmakar. “Because until then I felt I could push my body, but there are times when the body tells you it is time to rest.

“Even though I am retiring, my connection with gymastics will remain. I want to give back to the sport – be it as a mentor, coach, or by supporting young girls,” she added.

In an emotional note that she posted on social media, Karmakar recalled being told that she cannot become a gymnast when she was young due to her flat feet. "Today I feel proud of all that I have achieved. Representing India at the world stage and winning medals and, most of all, performing the Produnova vault at the Rio Olympics has been the most special moment of my career," she said.

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