Iris Wang

Personal life

Wang was born in Pasadena, California on September 2, 1994 to Chinese parents. Her older sister, Rena Wang, is also an international badminton player.

Career

Wang won a bronze medal in the women's doubles at the 2010 Pan Am Badminton Championships playing alongside her sister Rena. In 2011 she was eliminated at the quarterfinal stage of the women's singles at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, after losing to Canadian player Michelle Li. Competing alongside her sister Rena, Wang won a silver medal in the women's doubles.

At the 2013 Pan Am Badminton Championships she won a silver medal in the team event as part of the United States squad. Wang won the gold medal at the 2014 Brazil International tournament, defeating Lohaynny Vicente in the final. She also won gold medals at the Mercosul International and Argentina International events. She was part of the United States squad that won a team silver medal at the 2014 Pan Am Badminton Championships.

At the 2015 Pan American Games held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Wang won a bronze medal in the women's singles. She defeated Damaris Ortiz Prada of Venezuela, Luana Vicente of Brazil and Daniela Macias of Peru, before losing her semifinal to Rachel Honderich of Canada.

In February 2016 Wang was part of the United States squad that won the women's team gold medal at the Pan American Team Continental Championships. Wang defeated Canada's Kyleigh O’Donoghue 21–12, 21–4, as the US won the final 3–2.

As of May 5, 2016 Wang was ranked 33rd in the world for women's singles. The 34 highest ranked athletes, with a maximum of two per nation, earned qualification for the women's singles event in at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The United States Olympic Committee confirmed Wang's place in the United States team on May 10, 2016.