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Editor: Xiangxiang Kanyu
He Bingjiao's small gesture won the praise and respect of the whole of Spain.
In the women's singles final of badminton at the Paris Olympics, although she was ultimately runner-up, she picked up the Spain flag badge representing her opponent when accepting the award, an action that immediately sparked heated discussions in the Western media and was hailed as "embodying the true Olympic spirit".
It all started in the semi-finals. At that time, He Bingjiao played against Spain first sister Carolina · Marin, and the game reached a critical stage, Marin suddenly suffered a knee injury and could not continue the game, and had to regret leaving.
According to the rules, He Bingjiao won and advanced to the finals. What everyone saw was only a cold result, but behind it was a scene of Marin's long-term pursuit and frustration.
Marin can be described as the "lone seedling" of Spain badminton, and has attracted attention since he was a child and has high expectations. She is extremely talented, especially in singles, and has won medals for Spain in major competitions on several occasions. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, when Marin reached the semifinals, he met Chinese player Li Xuerui, but Li Xuerui first withdrew halfway, and Marin questioned it as a "small trick" and reprimanded. Despite this, Marin won a bronze medal at that Olympics, which is gratifying.
In recent years, however, Marin's fortunes have begun to take a turn. In 2021, she missed the Tokyo Olympics due to injury, which once made her heartbroken. She pinned all her hopes on this Paris Olympics, which she has been preparing for for a long time, and sees it as the last big stage of her life. So when she left halfway, tears welled up in her eyes and she was in great pain, and you can imagine what a blow she experienced.
In the final, although He Bingjiao lost 0:2 to Chinese Taipei's An Xiying and missed the gold medal, a small action after the game won everyone's respect. When the staff handed her the medal, He Bingjiao offered to pick up a small badge with the image of the Spain flag and hold it when receiving the award.
It was a gesture of respect and sympathy for her opponent Marin, who had a chance to reach the final because of his injury. He Bingjiao used this way to pay sincere tribute to Ma Lin, which made people sigh.
The Spain badminton community naturally appreciates this. Even the Western media were deeply moved by this scene, and some newspapers directly expressed their gratitude in Chinese "thank you" in their reports. Because He Bingjiao interprets the Olympic spirit of "friendship first, competition second" with her actions, this kind of sportsmanship of fair competition and mutual respect is so valuable.
Spain's famous basketball legend Pau · Gasol also supported He Bingjiao on social media, saying that her approach "shows the true Olympic spirit". Gasol is a generation of sports icons, and his praise is undoubtedly the greatest affirmation of He Bingjiao.
Sports should not only be a contest of fists and feet, but also a sublimation of the traditional virtues of mutual respect and friendship first. In the brutal competition, the hardships paid by each athlete can only be experienced by those who have experienced it firsthand. He Bingjiao's ability to treat the opponent's situation as her own in this situation is really commendable. This is the highest expression of sportsmanship.
We tend to focus only on the winners and ignore the sweat of the losers. Marin is loved by Spain precisely because she has touched countless people with her fighting spirit. She is tenacious on the court, even if she is surrounded by strong enemies, she still fights bravely, which can be called a model. He Bingjiao used this small gesture to offer her most sincere respect to Marin, and also made us realize that sports are not only about winning, but also about persistence and respect.
It was an indelible blow to Marin. As the pillar of the Spain national team, she is burdened with too many expectations, and this game is also the last fight of her career, which can be described as luck. But life is like that, often when we need an opportunity the most, fate takes everything from us. In the face of such a blow, many people may collapse completely, but Marin chose to face it positively with his tenacity.
As Gasol said, He Bingjiao interpreted the true meaning of the Olympic spirit with practical actions. Showing respect at such a time, rather than grandstanding or showing off power, is the best practice of sportsmanship by He Bingjiao. She resolved all the discord with kindness, and let the competitive match end in a harmonious atmosphere, which was perhaps the most precious victory.
Outside the arena, Marin and He Bingjiao continued this friendship and became very good friends. Marin thanked He Bingjiao on social media and wished her well in her future career. I believe that through this experience, both parties have developed more understanding and respect for each other.
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