When winning or losing is inconsequential: Carolina Marn, the last Spanish athlete to stop

Lost in the semifinals of the All England Open to Tsu Ying Tai in a strange match in an even stranger environment

There are times when sport is inconsequential. The greatest of heroics or History with its capital letter return to what they are: the result of a hobby. Matches, competitions or tournaments are a hindrance. Needless to say, the health authorities: the head is on other things. But nothing, not even culture, sentimentally elevates a society like sport can, and for this reason the next closure must be expected as short as possible.

There will be other priorities, many other priorities, but the return of the sports competition in Spain, in Europe, in the world will be the greatest signal that everything is better. When the emotion depends again on trifles like a goal or a basket, the coronavirus crisis will be over.

Meanwhile, sport has nothing to contribute and it is better to stay away. To avoid infections and, at the same time, banalities. This Saturday ended the strangest Paris-Nice in history and events such as the All England Open in badminton, the rally in Mexico, the Gibraltar Open in snooker and some other exceptions, such as the Table Tennis Omn Challenge, continue. but this Sunday most will lower the blind.

Its celebration, in fact, has been due to a series of irresponsibilities, such as that of the ASO, organizer of Paris-Nice, and political decisions still to be valued, such as that of the United Kingdom Government which directs Boris Johnson. Due to their non-restrictive strategy against coronavirus, the stadiums and pavilions remain open for anyone who wants to use them – the Premier par motu proprio – and frankly strange tournaments are held.

This Saturday, for example, Carolina Marn disputed the semifinals of the All England Open, the most important Grand Slam, only an hour after the President of the Government of his country, Pedro Snchez, declare the alarm status. The last of the Spanish Olympics to stop their activity faced the Taiwanese Tzu Ying Tai And who knows if by the situation or only by the game, he lost as he had almost never lost.

After dominating the first set extensively (he came to command with an 18-11), he was losing confidence in his movements, constantly looking for his coach Fernando Rivas and let the next two sets escape in a seen and unseen. In the second, he started losing 0-5 and in the third he held on more, but ended up yielding equally. The result was 21-19, 13-21 and 11-21. Yesterday was not a day to win, for the greatest heroism, for History with its capital letter. There are times when sport is inconsequential.