Jan O Jorgensen calls time on his career. He has already retired from the national team and had previously announced that the Denmark Open would be his last tournament. Yesterday, as the DANISA Denmark Open began, Jorgensen reflected on what is next for him from now on.
Jorgensen at the age of 32 said he does not have much expectation from his career at the moment, although he is part for team Vendsyssel in the Danish league.
Talking to Sport Tv2, he said his training has reduced severely and that he is taking each moment slowly.
“It’s completely absurd to stand and say, but then I’m done. That’s just the way it is. But I am going in one last time and going to enjoy it, all that I can, and then we will see what happens.”
Danish national head coach Kenneth Jonassen had allowed Jorgensen to train with the national team despite resigning from it in June. Jonassen applauded Jorgensen for setting high standard for himself and said that he would miss that about him.
“It’s good to see him having one last tournament…I will miss that he sets high standards for himself. He demands something that from his colleagues as well, and it is a great quality to have,” said Jonassen.
Jorgensen said that he would miss the badminton lifestyle but it was time for him to say his goodbyes. Plagued by injuries, Jorgensen said his decision to bid adieu was not a one-day decision but was a gradual feeling that built up in him.
Jan: “I had pushed the idea away of what should happen, but it suddenly started to become relevant because I was injured and could not play for a year.
Some days it has been completely bad, where I could hardly come down and get a cup of coffee. And other days it has been super good. So it’s been a lot of ups and down. So I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t measure up to what it takes and what I can face myself with.”
On the 2016 Thomas Cup win by Denmark, Jorgensen said, “These are places where it was not normal for European to go out and perform. I’m really proud to be able to prove it could be done.”
Reassuring his decision to depart from badminton, he said, “I do not regret anything and I have done it my way. My need to get in and compete is not so great anymore. I can feel it…I’ve confirmed it that it is the complete right decision for me, and I’m done.”
