<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-04/He-Bingjiao-reaches-women-s-singles-badminton-final-at-Paris-Olympics-1vNixCvisc8/img/f3ccc3ccfc62406dac9aad7effddc2aa/f3ccc3ccfc62406dac9aad7effddc2aa.jpeg' alt='He Bingjie of China competes in the women's singles badminton semfinals against Carolina Marin of Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, August 4, 2024. /CFP'
He Bingjiao of China advanced to the women’s singles badminton final at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics on Sunday after her opponent in the semifinals, Carolina Marin of Spain, pulled out of the competition due to an injury.
Marin won the first game 21-14 and led 10-5 in the second. But she landed awkwardly on her right knee after an overhead smash. Though she tried to continue after strapping on a knee brace, she soon realized that she wasn’t able to play on and had to withdraw.
Marin was shedding tears of both disappointment and pain when her coach arrived. He headed over to check on her opponent as well when the crowd applauded the Spaniard.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-04/He-Bingjiao-reaches-women-s-singles-badminton-final-at-Paris-Olympics-1vNixCvisc8/img/1ec8939d6b9a4394a8c995386caec5e9/1ec8939d6b9a4394a8c995386caec5e9.jpeg' alt='Carolina Marin of Spain goes down with an injury in the women's singles badminton semfinals against He Bingjie of China at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, August 4, 2024. /CFP'
Marin won the women’s singles gold medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, but she missed the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 due to a knee injury.
“I feel very sad about what happened,” He told reporters. “She didn’t (explain her injury), but you can tell from her movements. She might have already been injured, but she has kept going until now. She has been injured before and has overcome it twice. I hope she can overcome her injury again and return to the game.”
He will face World No. 1 An Se-young in the final, with the South Korean having knocked out China’s defending champion Chen Yufei in the quarterfinals.
