Badminton
Carolina Marin’s Olympic dream shattered by knee injury
As Marin slapped the court in frustration and the crowd rose to its feet in a standing ovation, the emotional toll of her journey was evident.
Carolina Marin (Photo credit: Sportstar)
Carolina Marin's journey at the Paris Olympics came to a devastating end on Sunday when the Spanish badminton star injured her surgically repaired knee during her women's singles semi-final against China's He Bingjiao. The injury forced Marin to retire from the match, dashing her hopes of Olympic glory once again.
The 2016 Olympic gold medallist had been leading 21-14, 10-6 and was just 11 points away from securing a place in the final when she landed awkwardly on her knee. The 31-year-old from Spain immediately knew her Olympic campaign was over.
“She’s bad,” said her coach Fernando Rivas. “She fell and felt something break, a familiar feeling. She couldn’t carry on. She couldn't continue. She is devastated. It’s really cruel, this situation, how she is ending this Olympic Games.”
Marin's Olympic journey has been marked by resilience. A gold medalist in Rio 2016, she was a favorite for the Tokyo Olympics until a cruciate ligament tear in her knee kept her out of the competition. This latest injury in Paris was a heartbreaking blow, especially after she had fought so hard to return to the sport she loves.
In her post-match interview, her opponent He Bingjiao expressed her own sadness over the incident. “I really don’t want to see this kind of thing happen,” she said. “Marin even cheered me on in the end, telling me to play well in the final.”
As Marin slapped the court in frustration and the crowd rose to its feet in a standing ovation, the emotional toll of her journey was evident. Her refusal to use a wheelchair and her tearful apology to the crowd highlighted the pain of coming so close to her goal only to have it snatched away.
PV Sindhu, the Indian ace who has frequently faced Marin on tour, including in the Rio 2016 gold medal match, shared a message of support on Instagram. “I am sending all the positive energy in the world your way. You were playing a phenomenal match, and I was deeply rooting for you,” said Sindhu. “Deep down, I believe no player on tour I hated playing against more than you. Your willpower, sheer determination, and uncanny ability to put players under pressure are unmatched.”
Marin has previously recovered from multiple serious injuries and personal hardships, including the death of her father in 2020. A
