Osaka was born in Japan in October 1997 to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father before moving to New York at the age of 3 with her parents. Under Japan’s Nationality Act, those who hold dual citizenship must choose one before their 22nd birthday. Osaka chose to relinquish her American citizenship in 2019 so she could represent Japan in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
“Undoubtedly the greatest athletic achievement and honor I will ever have in my life. I have no words to describe the feelings I have right now, but I do know I am currently filled with gratefulness and thankfulness,” she wrote on Instagram.
Check out Naomi lighting the Olympic torch below in a clip from NBC.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5x0mk3oDx0[/embedyt]
