• Huang Yaqiong, Olympic badminton champion, announces her retirement from China's national team.
• The 30-year-old cites age and accumulated injuries as the main reasons for her decision.
• Huang won mixed doubles gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics with partner Zheng Siwei.
• In her social media post, she expressed doubts about her ability to compete at the highest level.
• Despite retiring from the national team, Huang plans to remain involved in badminton in other capacities.

Huang Yaqiong, the accomplished Olympic champion in badminton, has officially announced her retirement from the Chinese national team, revealing that the pressures of age and an accumulation of injuries have taken their toll. The 30-year-old athlete achieved notable success with her partner Zheng Siwei, taking home gold in mixed doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympics, while also securing a silver medal in the same category during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

In a heartfelt social media message, Huang disclosed that she had made the decision to retire even before competing in the recent Olympics, emphasizing that she did not feel confident enough to continue representing her country at an elite level. "Although based on my current form, I still possess the physical ability to compete, the accumulated injuries over the years combined with my increasing age have made me lack confidence," she remarked.

Reflecting on her career, Huang acknowledged the bittersweet nature of her departure, having also celebrated a personal milestone shortly after her Olympic victory—an engagement to fellow athlete Liu Yuchen. "I am looking forward to my new life," Huang shared while expressing her ongoing commitment to the sport. "Badminton is my lifelong pursuit, and I’m willing to give it my all," she stated, ensuring that she would continue to contribute to badminton despite stepping back from competitive play.

For further details, please refer to the Reuters article.