PARIS, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Spanish badminton star Carolina Marin has been back home in Spain after suffering a serious knee injury in her semifinal at the Olympics on Sunday.

Marin was leading in the second set against China's He Bingjiao when she suffered the injury and was unable to continue, prompting fears she has suffered the third cruciate knee ligament injury of her career.

The 31-year-old was on crutches when she arrived in Madrid and admitted the heartbreak she felt on not being able to compete for a medal.

She told the waiting press that she still hadn't been able to see all the messages of support that had been sent to her, "but I want to thank everyone."

"I am destroyed, I can't say anything else," she admitted, adding "now we are going to the hospital and then we will take decisions."

Her coach Fernando Rivas spoke to the press on Sunday following the injury occurred to the three-time world champion and gold medal winner in Rio 2016, saying he wasn't optimistic about the injury.

"It's a feeling she already knows ... She said that it wasn't fair and that she didn't want to end her career in this way," commented Rivas.

He Bingjiao lost Monday's final to South Korea's An Se-young, but showed her appreciation for Marin in a sporting gesture in the medal ceremony as she carried a pin with the Spain flag.

Earlier she had commented that she was "very sad" about what had happened, adding "I hope she can recover as quickly as possible." Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)