Olympic gold medallist Carolina Marin has left the badminton arena in a flood of tears after suffering another serious knee injury.
The Rio 2016 champion was leading her semi-final and just minutes away from progressing to the final in Paris when her right knee gave way and she collapsed to the court.
Instantly covering her face as she feared a third ACL injury in her career, Marin’s tears echoed around the stunned venue and coaches rushed to her side.
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Marin’s opponent He Bing Jiao looked devastated herself and was also on hand to support her opponent throughout the ordeal.
“Oh my goodness. Coaches are on, medics are on,” Gill Clark said in commentary.
“This is tragic. This is simply tragic. She’s done her knee again, the ACL. Sport can sometimes be so, so cruel. This is tragedy. She was playing so well, she was on a roll.”
Incredibly, the 31-year-old Marin attempted to continue with a compression strap around her knee.
“I fully understand she wants to play on. I’m not sure it’s sensible at all,” Clark said.
Marin received heavy applause upon the resumption but was forced to retire after two points.
“She can’t move,” Great Britain’s Olympic bronze medallist Chris Langridge said.
After Marin dropped to the floor again, Clark said: “She’s broken down. She knows it’s a hopeless situation.”
Marin was distraught and weeping loudly while the entire crowd gave her a standing ovation.
An official emerged with a wheelchair but Marin declined the offer, leaving on her feet before being taken to hospital to be assessed.
“She will walk, her head held high,” Clark said.
“She fought so bravely to come back from two previous surgeries. ACL injuries on both her knees in the past.
“And poor old Carolina Marin limps out of Paris 2024. Tragic.”