MADRID — Olympic badminton champion Carolina Marín will not defend her title at the Tokyo Games because of a knee injury.
Marín said Tuesday that medical tests confirmed she has damage to her meniscus and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. The Spanish star is expected to undergo surgery this week.
“It’s another tough blow that I will have to overcome,” Marín said on her Instagram account. “But make no mistake about it, I’ll be back.”
Marín, a three-time world champion and a five-time European champion, was injured during training last week. She had a similar injury in her right knee in 2019.
Marín was one of Spain’s best hopes for a gold medal in Tokyo, having reached the final in all five tournaments she played this year, winning four of them.
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