Reigning Olympic badminton champion Carolina Marin on Tuesday announced that she won’t be able to compete at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics as she has torn the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the two menisci in her left knee.
Marin, 27, will now be undergoing a surgery later this week for the injury. She said that she would not be in the best shape for the upcoming Olympics and as a result, she would not be participating in the Games.
Issuing a statement on Twitter, the ace shuttler said: “After the examinations during the weekend and the medical consultation, I confirm that I have torn the ACL and both meniscus on my left knee. I will undergo surgery this week and start my recovery. I want to thank everyone for your support and messages during these days. This is another blow that I have to deal with, but I will certainly be back.”
“The preparation during the last two months had become very difficult for reasons beyond the team’s control, but we were excited and knew that I would be in the best shape for the Olympics. It won’t be possible. I know that I am in safe hands and that I have a lot of people by my side,” she added. Earlier, Marin had suffered an injury on her left knee during training on Friday. Marin, the Spanish badminton player, informed that she suffered discomfort during the training and subsequent tests have confirmed the injury,” she added.
Marin’s statement further read: “Today I have suffered some discomfort during training that forced me to stop training,” Marin said in a statement on Twitter. “After the first tests carried out, the doctors have verified that the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the left knee has been affected. Soon I will be able to give you more information. I am in the best hands, always.”
Earlier on Friday, India’s Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth’s hopes of qualifying for the showpiece event had ended after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) had said that no further tournaments will be played inside the qualifying window.