The strength and determination of Filipinos in the realm of sports have been proven time and again, especially with homegrown athletes, such as Hidilyn Diaz and Carlos Yulo, the Philippines’ Olympic gold medalists.
This spirit transcends beyond borders, with athletes of Filipino descent making waves at the Paris Olympics. Here are some of the mix-raced athletes at the Olympics that we know have Filipino heritage:
Lee Kiefer (USA)
Not just once, not just twice, but thrice! Filipino-American fencer Lee Kiefer has already won gold twice for Women’s individual foil (one in Tokyo, one in Paris) and once for women’s team foil in Paris, alongside her team, representing the USA. This makes a total of three gold medals for her.
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Jake Jarman (Great Britain)
Standing beside the Philippines’ golden boy Carlos Yulo on the podium for the men’s artistic gymnastics floor exercise at the Paris Olympics was another athlete of Filipino descent. Bronze medalist Jake Jarman is actually a Fil-British gymnast with a Cebuana mother.
Also read: Two Pinoys on the podium: Did you know that Jake Jarman of Great Britain is Filipino-British?
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Yuka Saso
Yuka Saso may have switched countries, but her Filipino roots remain unwavering. Representing Japan now, this Filipino-Japanese golfer won a gold medal for the Philippines at the 2018 Asian Games and competed for the Philippines in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
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Maxine Esteban
Maxine Esteban, who previously represented the Philippines and now competes as an Ivorian, is also at the Paris Olympics representing Ivory Coast. Before the Games, she announced her qualification through an Instagram post, honoring both Côte d’Ivoire and the Philippines. While she’s a full-blooded Filipina, she has already become a naturalized citizen of the Ivory Coast in 2022.
“This is for Côte d’Ivoire, the country that embraced me, believed in me, and supported me all the way, and for the Philippines, the country my heart will always beat proud,” she wrote in the caption.
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