Most athletes who dream of the Olympics usually chose a facility in their country to prepare for it, but Presley Smith didn't allow distance to become a barrier in his hunt for his Olympic dream.

At just 18, Smith packed his bags and moved to the other side of the world in Taiwan, 7,500 miles away from where he first picked up a badminton racket in Baltimore. He is currently putting in his best efforts to represent Team USA in men’s doubles and mixed doubles at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

In a recent interview with WMAR-2 News, Smith revealed the realization that propelled him to move to Taiwan. He said, "Actually, Baltimore City schools in general, they only have badminton for the girls, I never played in the school circuit."

Baltimore County had boys’ teams and tournaments, but Smith chose not to join them. Instead, he trained on his own with his coach. He pushed himself without the usual high school team system that most young athletes depend on.

After finishing high school, Smith had a big decision to make. His friends were going to top universities, but he was thinking about something very different. He considered moving to Taiwan, where his family is from, to focus on badminton full-time.

Smith's Risky Bet on Taiwan Pays Off With World Rankings

Smith disclosed his thoughts about relocating to Taiwan, saying, "I was, of course, skeptical at the time. I have no friends in Taiwan, and like all my friends are here. They're all going to like prestigious universities, and I was like, it's kind of, it's a weird feeling." Smith said in February 2026.

He decided to take the risk anyway. And it paid off. Smith grew into one of the top badminton players in the United States and earned places on both Team USA doubles teams.

"I want to go to the next level, and I trained harder and harder and became the top player in the US," Smith said.

Now the real challenge begins. Smith has to reach the top 20 in the world rankings this year and then move into the top 16 by 2027 to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics.

"I want badminton to be more widespread in Baltimore because it's still like under the radar a little bit in terms of sports, even in the US," Smith said.

"But I hope I can bring more badminton to Baltimore."

So do you think Smith will break into the top 16 and earn a spot on the 2028 Olympic team, competing at home in Los Angeles?

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Souvik Roy