Badminton prodigy Carolina Marín scoops up third European Championship

Sunday was like 'groundhog day' for Marín and Gilmour, who also faced each other in last year's finals with the Spaniard beating her British rival.

The 2016 Championship in La Roche-sur-Yon, in France, was Carolina's second win at this level after her victory in 2014 and, this year, she had her third in the bag after just 43 minutes of play.

Carolina took the initiative throughout the match, which went to 4-0 within seconds of the first serve, playing clsoe to the net and wearing down Kirsty's backhander – the Scotswoman's weakest stroke.

The Spaniard clinched the first set in just 19 minutes with a clear 21-14 and was already dominating play from the very start of the second set, on 3-0.

Kirsty pulled herself together with determination and managed to equal Carolina on 4-4 and 5-5, the nearest she got to ruffling her rival who never once dropped below her.

Carolina's every stroke took her yet another step closer to victory, ending the second set on 21-12 after 24 minutes.

Her European hat-trick shows she is unrivalled in women's singles at the moment and has put Spain firmly on the map in her sport.

Only one other female has managed to clinch the European title three times was Denmark's Camilla Martin, who went through a spell of winning every two years – taking the Championship in 1996, 1998 and 2000.

Carolina also has an Olympic gold under her belt from Rio 2016, and won the World Championships in 2014 and 2015.