Chinese badminton star honors injured opponent at Paris Olympics

Chinese badminton player He Bing Jiao held up a miniature Spanish flag during the Olympic award ceremony after clinching the silver medal in a hard-fought women’s badminton final against South Korea’s An Se-young on Monday. Jiao’s gesture was a tribute to Spain’s Carolina Marin, who had to withdraw from their semifinal match due to a serious knee injury.

A class act: Marin, a gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was a favorite to win in Paris before her unfortunate injury. In her post-match interview, Jiao lamented Marin’s untimely exit, saying “I really don’t want to see this kind of thing happen. Marin even cheered me on in the end, telling me to play well in the final.”
Netizens react: Jiao’s act of solidarity resonated deeply with fans and fellow athletes alike, with netizens hailing her as a “true Olympian.” One fan expressed their sentiment on X, saying, “That’s why I was rooting for He Bing Jiao to win, she is such a sweetheart.”

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