Paris Olympics: What to know, who to watch during badminton competition

A roadmap to follow for the badminton competition during the Paris Olympics:

Athletes to Watch:

Beiwen Zhang, United States: After winning the women's singles gold at the 2023 Pan American Games, the 33-year-old is the best shot at the first American badminton medal at the Olympics since its debut as a medal event in 1992. Born in China, Zhang moved to Singapore as a teenager in 2007 and has represented the U.S. internationally since 2013.

Viktor Axelsen, Denmark: Axelsen was Europe's only medalist (gold) in Tokyo three years ago, and he was the top qualifier for Paris. At 30, this will be his third Olympics; he won bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Chen Yu Fei, China: The defending women's singles champion led China to a tournament win in May and finished behind only An Se-young of South Korea in the Paris qualification rankings.

Storylines to Follow:

The U.S. mixed doubles team of Vinson Chiu and Jennie Gai qualified at the Pan Am Games. It still will be an uphill climb for the