The silver medalist showed true Olympic spirit.
It’s always interesting to see how an athlete with a small stature dominates the favorites. And the 2024 Olympics have already brought unexpected results for fans and victories from outsiders.
However, these feelings often occur not because of the skill of the athletes, but simply because of injuries. So, in Paris, serious health problems stopped the Spanish badminton player Carolina Marin, who had already reached the finals of the Games.
Definite victory is gone
In the semifinal match of the women’s badminton singles tournament, Marin met He Bingjiao of China. The match ended with Marin injured when she was only 11 points away from victory.
The Spaniard won the first game with a score of 21:14 and led 10:8 in the second until she felt a sharp pain while jumping. The 2016 Games champion fell to the floor, screaming and clutching her knee. A little later, Marin tried to continue the game, wearing a special band, but her legs could no longer support her. Caroline fell to the floor again. After that, she realized it was over. It was painful to watch the gymnast hurt and crack.
– Caroline feels empty. I think it was very unfair. Carolina deserved to finish the Olympic Games, win or lose, but on the court, the athlete’s coach Fernando Rivas told reporters.
Doctors recommended that the Spanish athlete go to the tribune room in a wheelchair. However, the girl refused, deciding to leave the court alone. The audience saw the brave Marin with thunderous applause.
Caroline’s situation
The 31-year-old athlete has been having problems with her knees for a long time. In the final years of her career, Marin was plagued with injuries. Carolina even missed the Tokyo Olympics due to anterior cruciate ligament damage. And this was the second such injury. But every time she got back successfully.
This year, the athlete became the European champion and had every chance to take a second Olympic gold, but fate agreed otherwise. Despite Marin not being able to play in the bronze medal match due to injury, the Spanish flag was still on the podium.
In the final, Bingjiao lost against South Korean badminton player An Se-yoon with a score of 0:2. But the Chinese woman did not worry about the missed opportunity to win gold, but showed the true Olympic spirit. At the awards ceremony, Bingjiao held a silver medal and a small badge depicting the Spanish flag. So the athlete praised Marin, who deserved to be on the Olympic podium.
It is not yet known how long Carolina has been out, but she already has experience recovering from injuries. In addition, because of the beautiful story and meeting Bingjiao on the court, it is worth trying to return to professional sports.
2024-08-05 15:07:25
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