Double European Champion Maryna Slutskaya says farewell to international judo

Belarus heavyweight Maryna Slutskaya made a difficult decision and announced to retire. Slutskaya captured European Games gold in Minsk in 2019 and she became European Senior Champion in 2017 in Warsaw. She bagged a bronze medal at the Europeans in Lisbon this year but both the World Championships in Budapest and Olympic Games in Tokyo ended in misery with a place outside the top 8.

She bagged nine European medals, two as Junior and two in U23 and two senior European titles. She won 29 World Cup medals including nine victories. 

At her social media Slutskaya published: Been thinking for a long time... I complete a career in sports...Life goes very fast. Our plans can change every minute and something is completely up to us.

The final start of my sports career for the national team of the Republic of Belarus became the European Team Championship in Minsk. A special tournament where you stand not only for yourself but for your team. An emotional tournament. After losing at the Olympics and a serious injury, it was my first time to go to a dad competition with the team. The result of the tournament is fifth place, and I, after losing my last fight, came out with my dads in tears. And I cried not so much from the defeat, but from the realisation of the finish line, from helplessness and regret.

But life has made its own adjustments. 12 hours before the flight to Paris for the Champions league in December, my father died. He was ill for a long time, suffered a lot. He could leave any day but... I cancelled the trip and started the funeral with three days in the fog... Now begins a new chapter in my life. Everything will be different now.”

Slutskaya debuted as internationally with a successful bronze medal at the European Youth Olympic Days in Belgrade in 2007 at the age of 15. She continued to booked multiple national titles in all age categories. From 2012 she booked her first World Cup victory, at home in Minsk and IJF World Cup in Tashkent. Later bigger successes followed with Grand Prix victories in Tbilisi, Tunis and The Hague and a Grand Slam victory in Abu Dhabi. Slutskaya is a warm person and she was welcomed in international teams for the main European team events.

Slutskaya: “One more tournament was left, the Golden League of Club European Championship. I was very happy when Sugoi Uriarte offered me to be part of Judo Club Valencia. Two years ago, we became the silver medalists of such a great Championship. And now, I wanted to go out on dads with them again...”

“I will no longer go out on the tatami as an athlete, I will not be able to ask my dad to flood the bath and I will not blame him for his harm... And he will no longer hang the Alta medal around his neck and will not ask after I came from the competition "what did you buy me." Everything will be different, but definitely better than yesterday.”

“Thank you family, You always welcomed me as a Champion no matter the outcome. Thanks coach, without him, I wouldn't be me. Thank you to the guys and girls in the national team who believed in me - your faith has covered me. Thanks to the sparring partner and those who helped in the preparation, all medals are half yours. Thank you partners for the kimono (Fighting Films) and thanks to the people who destabilized me - thanks to you, I won and became stronger. Thank you judo, for making me have so many friends, relatives and family. For loving this sport with all my heart. Because of him, I survived so many happy moments.”