With tears in her eyes, Ona Carbonell announced her retirement. Supported by family, friends, and the highest figures in Spanish sport, the Catalan took the floor at the Olympic Committee headquarters this afternoon to share her decision. I stopped being a synchronized swimmer today, she said, yet I am deeply happy at this stage. It marks the end of more than a decade of competition, a career that yielded 92 international medals and established her as a global benchmark in the discipline.
Just shy of 33 years old, Carbonell closes a meteoric sporting journey. Although she has spent more time in the water than on land, the sport of immersion never lost its hold on her. It was in the pool that she found her purpose. Rhythmic gymnastics initially captured her attention, but her love of water drew her toward synchronized swimming at a young age.
She joined at age 14 at the Sant Cugat High Performance Center. Since then, seasons have been measured in medals and trophies. She earned two medals at the Olympic Games, London 2012, including a duet silver and a team bronze. Between 2007 and 2019, she collected 22 medals in Swimming World Cups and 12 medals in European competitions from 2008 to 2021. These figures remain record-setting for an athlete who made history in the sport.
Reference in and out of the water
Beyond being the woman with the most medals in world championship history in synchronized swimming, Carbonell also left a lasting mark on the sport through her resilience and ambition. She embraced the challenge of balancing elite sport with motherhood, emerging from Barcelona into the global arena as a top-tier athlete. She paused her career to welcome two young children into her life.
Her goal was clear: return to competition after giving birth, not only as a sports objective but as a moral duty. Motherhood remains a barrier that many women face in sports and society, she explains in her documentary She Carbonell: Beginning Again, detailing the journey back to the pool after childbirth.
Not only did she return once, she returned twice. Throughout the years, the pool remained a sanctuary where she cared for her children and found balance. Now the time has come to bid farewell to competition, supported by family, teammates, and coaches alike.
No one wanted to miss her farewell.
Teammates recall her as a captain, a beacon, and a true friend. Her impact went beyond the pool; her humanity and her willingness to engage with social issues earned widespread admiration. Notably, leaders in Spanish sport recognized the depth of her character and the value of keeping someone with such integrity within the sporting landscape. The president of the Supreme Sports Council acknowledged that Spanish sport cannot afford to lose a figure with Carbonell’s human qualities. Her journey has inspired many across the nation and beyond.
Colleagues and federation heads remember the privilege of witnessing her medals and milestones. They note the triumphs during the most successful phases of her career, while also acknowledging the inevitable ups and downs. When motherhood entered her life, the federation supported her, giving the sport renewed meaning. Her return to world-level competition underscored her determination and the unyielding belief that she could contribute at the highest level. Her farewell marks the end of a remarkable chapter, yet the influence of her work and her example will continue to shape future generations of athletes.