Carolina Marín, who was injured in the badminton semi-finals of the Paris Olympics, has suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, which was operated on at the beginning of 2019, as well as a rupture of the medial and lateral meniscus, according to the medical report released this afternoon by her representatives. "An assessment will be carried out shortly to determine the treatment and the date of the operation," her team said in an official statement.

The Rio de Janeiro Olympic champion had already missed Tokyo 2020 with a second knee injury. Just as she looked set for another gold medal in Paris, Marín suffered the injury in the semi-finals. "I haven't seen it all yet, but I want to thank everyone. I'm devastated, I can't say anything else. I'm going to the hospital for tests to see what they show and then we'll make decisions," said Marín.

Marín was injured during her match against China's He Bing Jiao and was forced to withdraw from the tournament despite dominating the match (21-14, 10-6) when the knee injury reoccurred and stopped her progress just short of the final. After winning the first set 21-14 and leading the second 10-6, Marín collapsed on the court.

The three-time World and eight-time European champion received treatment and was fitted with a knee brace to continue, but after losing two more points to Jiao, she couldn't continue. She left the main court of the Porte de la Chapelle arena in tears, facing a cruel and familiar end. On Monday, Marín feared the worst and tests in Madrid confirmed the serious injuries to her anterior ligament and meniscus.

China's He Bing Jiao was visibly moved. She checked on Marín's condition at the time of the injury and later offered words of support. "I really didn't want this to happen. Carolina even encouraged me afterwards, telling me to play well in the final. He Bing Jiao, who eventually lost to South Korea's An Se-Young in the final to take home the silver medal, paid tribute to Marín by wearing a Spanish flag pin on the podium.

Marín's injury, which came just as she was set to reach the final of the Paris 2024 Olympic badminton tournament, was a huge blow to Spanish fans and the badminton community. It was particularly poignant for her opponent, He Bing Jiao, who won a place in the final due to Marín's unfortunate injury, and honoured her by wearing a Spanish flag pin while accepting her silver medal. This heartfelt gesture has gone viral on social media, with many Spanish fans appreciating the touching tribute.