IT was heartbreaking for Carolina Marin of Spain when she was forced to retire from her semi-final match against He Bing Jao of China while dominating it at the Paris Olympic Games today.
After winning the first game easily 21-14 and leading 10-6 in the second game, her right knee buckled and she landed awkwardly and lay on the court in pain. Marin had previously undergone anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on both knees.
Coaches and officials rushed to her aid, and after Marin was given a brief time to recover, she decided not to give up. The crowd in the meantime gave her a standing ovation, clapping loudly in the hope that she could continue playing.
Bing Jao was also concerned for Marin’s welfare and walked over to her court with a concerned face.
But after playing two more points, the pain was too much to bear and the 31-year-old Spaniard had no choice but to concede a walkover. She then broke down in tears.
Both players hugged each other as the game was over for Marin. Although Bing Jao, 27, proceeded to the final, she was saddened to see the game end this way.
A wheelchair was brought onto the court but Marin refused to use it. As she limped out of court, followed by Bing Jao, the crowd continued to give them a standing ovation.
Marin made history by becoming the first non-Asian to win the Olympic badminton women’s singles gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics by beating P.V. Sindhu in the women’s singles final with a score of 19-21, 21-12, 21-15. She is also a three-time world champion and an eight-time European champion, cementing her legacy as one of the sport’s greatest.
Bing Jao will now meet An Se-young in the final after the South Korean came back from a game down to beat Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia 11-21, 21-13, 21-16.
Story and pix by K.H. Ong