New Delhi, India

Ace Spanish badminton player Carolina Marin on Tuesday pulled out from the upcoming Tokyo Olympics 2020 after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and both menisci of the left knee. The reigning Olympic Champion, Marin has been hailed as one of the finest badminton players of all time and was one of the biggest hopes for an Olympic gold during the Games in Tokyo for the Spain contingent.

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Marin took to social media platform Twitter to announce the development as she said that they were excited for the Olympics but added that she will be back after recovering from the injury blow.

“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 on 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. #ICanBecauseIBelieveICan,” Marin said in a statement on Tuesday.

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Marin, reigning Olympic Champion, three-time World Champions and five-time European Champion, was one of the favourites in the women’s singles badminton event to win the coveted gold medal. The former world number one is regarded as one of the greatest female athletes in singles badminton.

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Having won a medal in almost every BWF tournament, Marin was eyeing another gold at the quadrennial event.

At Rio Olympics, Marin defeated India’s PV Sindhu to win the women’s singles final with a score of 19-21 as she scripted history by becoming the first non-Asian to win the Olympic badminton singles’ event.

However, this is not the first time that Marin has suffered an ACL tear. In 2019, Marin had raptured her ACL during the Indonesia Masters final against Saina Nehwal. She underwent reconstruction surgery and had a recovery for four months.