China's He Bingjiao, who claimed the women's singles badminton silver medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, has retired from international competitions, but will continue to play in domestic matches, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced on Tuesday.
He Bingjiao faced An Se-young of South Korea in the final at the recently-concluded Games in the French capital. Although she lost the gold medal contest, finishing as the runner-up still resulted in her best-ever Olympic performance.
Before Paris 2024, He Bingjiao was a two-time World Championships bronze medalist in the women's singles category and helped China win both the Sudirman Cup and Uber Cup twice.
In addition to her accomplishments as an athlete, she is also widely regarded for her sportsmanship. She advanced to the women's singles final at the Paris Summer Olympics after her opponent in the semifinals, Carolina Marin of Spain, had to retire from the match due to a serious injury.
When He Bingjiao received the silver medal on the podium, she was spotted holding a pin given to her by the Spanish delegation.
\"This pin was given to me by Team Spain,\" He Bingjiao explained at a press conference. \"My opponent in the semifinals, Carolina Marin, had to pull out of the match due to injury. I feel sympathetic because Marin is an outstanding athlete and opponent. I wanted to take her spirit with me to the final. I wish her a quick recovery.\"
Both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Marin praised He Bingjiao's act.
Reference(s):
China's Olympic runner-up He Bingjiao to exit international badminton
cgtn.com
