August 3 ------ The Philippines has sent 22 athletes to the 2024 Paris Olympics, but with the Filipino diaspora being as large as it is, the list of Filipino heritage athletes continues to grow larger, even if some of them carry different colors.
Here are some of the athletes with Filipino roots who are representing other countries in this edition of the Olympic Games:
• Maxine Esteban, Cote d'Ivoire
Maxine Esteban, a former national team fencer for the Philippines, is representing Cote d'Ivoire in fencing after switching federations back in 2023. However, she made an early exit at the women's foil Table of 32 in her Olympic debut.
• Yuka Saso, Japan
Also a former national athlete, the Filipino-Japanese golfer Saso is a former Philippine Olympian who represented the country in the Tokyo Games, but just months after, opted to acquire Japanese citizenship. She is back in the Olympics, but this time, she will play for Japan. Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina will represent the Philippines in the golf event, which will start on August 7.
• Jake Jarman, Great Britain
As Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo impressed in the men's gymnastics qualification round, Great Britain's Jake Jarman also showed his wares in the event. According to reports, Jarman's mom is a Filipino from Cebu. Jarman is the top scorer in floor exercise, while Yulo finished second as both gymnasts booked their slots to the finals. They will also compete in the vault finals as the Filipino-British finished fifth, while Yulo placed sixth. The two gymnasts will also face off in the all-around finals as Jarman finished fifth, while Yulo placed ninth in the qualifying round.
• Marios Georgiou, Cyprus
Another gymnast, this time from Cyprus, in Marios Georgiou also has Filipino heritage. In a report from the Olympics website, it was said that Georgiou faced bullying in the past due to his Filipino roots. Standing now on the greatest sporting stage, Georgiou qualified for the horizontal bars finals as he finished eighth in the apparatus, enough for a slot in the medal round.
• Leylah Fernandez, Canada
Aside from Alex Eala who is making a name for herself on the global stage, another tennis star with Filipino heritage is Leylah Fernandez. Back in 2021, Fernandez broke out after reaching the finals of the US Open but she fell to eventual champion Emma Raducanu. Playing for Canada, Fernandez' mom is a Filipino. She is playing in the singles and doubles event of Olympic tennis.
• Lee Kiefer, USA
Lee Kiefer is the first USA foil fencer to win an Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020. In Paris, she made headlines again after notching her second straight gold medal in the event. Kiefer's mother was born in the Philippines then migrated to the United States as a child. She competed in the same event as the Philippines' Sam Catantan and Esteban.
• Mitchell Saron, USA
Another fencer of Filipino descent is Mitchell Saron, a product of Harvard University who hails from New Jersey and plays for the United States. According to reports, Saron's mother is a Filipino while his grandfather was a swordsman here in the Philippines. On his Instagram account, Saron proudly displays the Philippine flag emoji in his bio. Saron competes in the men's sabre event and will play on Wednesday in the Table of 8.
• Honorable mention: Erik Spoelstra
He's not an Olympian, but NBA coach Erik Spoelstra is part of the coaching staff for the star-studded USA men's basketball team, which is playing in Paris. While this is not a comprehensive list, one thing is for sure: Filipinos are among the world's best and they deserve their spots in sports' grandest stage.
Source: gmanetwork.com
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