Paris 2024 Olympics: He Bingjiao brings Spain pin on to podium in tribute to injured Carolina Marin
One of the most devastating moments of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 has led to one of the most beautiful ones, courtesy of He Bingjiao.
Spain’s Carolina Marin was forced to abandon the badminton women’s singles competition after sustaining an injury in her semi-final against the People’s Republic of China’s He.
She was devastated for her Spanish opponent, visibly upset as she addressed the media in tears after the match. Marin has previously struggled with serious knee injuries, making her withdrawal from the entire tournament even more painful.
It meant that He progressed to the final on a bye, where she was beaten 21-13, 21-16 by world No. 1 An Se Young of the Republic of Korea on Monday, 5 August.
He Bingjiao embodies Olympic spirit on podium
When He took to the podium to collect her silver medal, she already had something in her hand: a Team Spain Olympic pin.
It would have been hard to spot at such distance at La Chapelle Arena, but the image of the Chinese player holding her medal in one hand and the pin in the other went viral on social media.
She was particularly praised by Spanish fans and media for the gesture, and the Spanish Olympic Committee thanked her on social media. “The Olympic spirit at its finest!” a post read on X (formerly Twitter), “nice touch, thank you!”
Marin also thanked He in a statement on Tuesday, 6 August, where she said: “I wished He Bingjiao all the best in the final, because sportsmanship was above all else. But the moment on the podium is one of the loveliest gestures anyone has ever made to me and I will always be incredibly grateful to her.”