Badminton

Former Olympic champion Carolina Marin's hopes of a second gold medal were shattered in heartbreaking fashion as she suffered a devastating knee injury during her women's singles badminton semifinal at the Paris Olympics 2024.Marin, who was leading the match 21-14, 10-6 against China's He Bing Jiao, was forced to withdraw after falling awkwardly on her right knee. The incident occurred during the second game when she jumped to execute a return shot on her backhand side and landed awkwardly on her right foot.The Spaniard burst into tears immediately after falling and was quickly attended to by medical staff. She returned to the court briefly to continue the match but played only two more points before limping to the side of the court and collapsing in tears.Marin, who won the gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics, missed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to a knee injury. The Paris Games were expected to be her final Olympic appearance.He Bing Jiao, who was visibly shocked by the incident, hugged Marin after she was forced to retire. The Chinese shuttler will now face Korean Republic's An Se Young in the final.Marin's injury is a major blow to the badminton world. She is one of the most decorated players in the sport, having won three World Championships and the Olympic gold medal. Her absence from the final will be a significant loss for the tournament.It remains to be seen if Marin will return for the bronze-medal match. However, her injury is a reminder of the physical toll that elite-level sport can take on athletes.