Wang Yihan

Sport: Badminton

Nation: People's Republic of China

DOB: January 18, 1988

Career Highlights: A rising star in China and the world’s top-ranked player, Wang will make her Olympic debut in London. She has endured her share of heartbreak, getting ousted in the third round of both the 2009 and 2010 world championships. Wang was the No. 4 seed there in '09 and the top seed the following year, when a tight three-set defeat to Japan’s Eriko Hirose caused her to break down in tears. Those tears turned to joy at the 2011 worlds in the same London venue as these Olympics as the second-seeded Wang dropped one set en route to her first world title. Despite that success, it is difficult to know what to expect from Wang in the Olympics as she was upset by Chinese teammate Li Xuerui in the finals of the Asian championships in April, with a stunning 21-9 loss in the final set. ESPN magazine reported in its recent ‘Money Issue’ that Wang is the highest-paid shuttler in the world - male or female - with $277,550 in earnings in 2011.

Olympic History: None