Radius rower M. Valčiukaitė unexpectedly announced: she is ending a career that has delighted Lithuania
She did so with a wide smile, without any tension, and celebrated another victory. M.Valčiukaitė, who symbolically won the bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games together with Donata Queen, announced her decision while holding the award next to her partners.
The athletes who took the fourth place in the Tokyo Olympic Games received the Lithuanian Team of the Year award. They also picked up silver for the European Championship this year.
M.Valčiukaitė’s decision became a surprise to the vast majority of spectators who watched the awards. Only D.Karalienė and M.Valčiukaitė’s beloved Olympic vice-champion Saulius Ritter, who announced the end of his career in October, knew perfectly well how she felt.
“I would like to thank everyone who was around. I want to thank those who raised me, “said M. Valčiukaitė sensually.
And this time the point is really made.
The couple of M.Valčiukaitė and D.Karienė had broken up even after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Then D.Karalienė, who devoted herself to family life, and M.Valčiukaitė continued her career with Ieva Adomavičiūtė.
M.Valčiukaitė together with Ieva became European and world champions, but then Milda suffered a serious back injury.
At the Tokyo Olympics, the athlete said the trauma made her think about her life, and called her return a miracle.
“I didn’t know if I would walk a year ago,” Valčiukaitė said this year, in the heat of Tokyo. The athlete uttered such words after the finish, when she was fourth with D.Karaliene.
It was a really impressive result – after all, D.Karalienė and M.Valčiukaitė joined forces after a break of three and a half years. Milda was after a difficult spinal surgery, and Donata had to remember the fights.
After M.Valčiukaitė and D.Karaliene finished in Tokyo, a question about the couple’s future came to an end. Athlete coach Virgaudas Leknickas said at the time that we found out the answer while waiting.
“I can’t say anything about next year. I can predict we’re going to get ready and so on, but there’s life here. We will watch the thoughts and priorities of the composition. Of course, there is not much time before the Olympics. We will watch “, – V.Leknickas said prophetic words in Tokyo.