Arcadia Olympic Badminton Player Wins Most Number of Matches for US

ARCADIA, CA—It was a tough draw for Arcadia Olympian, Iris Wang. Wang was eliminated from further competition in the Olympic women's singles badminton tournament today with a 21- 16, 21-12 loss to reigning gold medalist Xuerui Li of China in a pool play match.

"This has been a crazy journey," said Wang, who attends UCLA. "The last year I've played in 33 tournaments. There have been good times and bad times.

Wang trailed 11-10 in the first game before Li won the next five points. In the second game, Wang won five straight points to cut Li's lead to 12-11, but Li then won nine of the next 10 points to seal the victory and the match.

The 21-year-old Wang had won her first two pool play matches, becoming the first American badminton player to win two matches at an Olympic Games. She was only American badminton player to win a match at the 2016 Olympic and the final American in the sport competing.

"I've had so much support -- my family, my friends, my coaches. It's not just me here, it's everyone," she said. "To be able to play on the biggest stage is something I will never forget."

Image, TeamUSA.org, City News Service