Asian American Athletes Are World Champions

By Jennie L. Ilustre

 

Over a dozen Asian and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) athletes won gold, silver and bronze in the recent Tokyo Olympics. Their stunning achievements brought pride, joy and a ray of sunshine–a welcome break from the gloom of the pandemic.

One of the most memorable Tokyo Olympics winners was Sunisa Lee. Lee is the first Hmong American to win a gold medal in the gymnastics individual all-around. Hmong Americans are an ethnic group from Laos.

Bo Thao-Urabe, Executive & Network Director of Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, said in an email: “What I most find inspiring about Suni is that she believed in her dreams, and her family and the community have been behind her from the start all the way to the Olympics. She succeeded – despite tough circumstances because of who was with and behind her. Sun carries that with her and has shared it with the world.”

 

Why U.S. Team is No. 1

“More than a dozen Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) athletes left Tokyo with medals around their necks, helping the American team reach the top of the medal table after two weeks of rigorous competition amid the Covid-19 pandemic,” wrote Heather Law in her CNN article. Tokyo 2020 was moved to 2021 due to the pandemic.

Among the winners the article mentioned was Justine Wong-Orantes, who “helped Team USA take its first ever gold in women’s volleyball.” Others were: Jay Litherland, who took a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley; Lee Kiefer, who won a gold medal in women’s fencing individual foil and “made national history,” and Erica Sullivan, who won a silver medal in the first-ever women’s 1,500-meter freestyle swim.

Law’s article, “Success of Suni Lee, Jay Litherland and Justine Wong-Orantes at Tokyo 2020 reflects long, hard fight for Asian-American athletes,” cited how they overcame racism and poverty to win in international competitions.

Tracing history, the article noted Asian American athletes first won medals at the 1948 Summer Olympic Games. Victoria Draves won in the swimming event. Sammy Lee was the first Asian American male to win a gold medal.

Nearly 50 years later, the story added, Kristi Yamaguchi became the first Asian American to win a gold medal in figure skating. She was also the second Asian American female to win gold in any Olympic sport.

In 1996, Asian Americans began excelling in other sports, the story noted, taking gold medals. They were gymnast Amy Chow, figure skating champion Michelle Kwan and snowboarding celebrity Chloe Kim.

 

Tennis champion Osaka

Asian sport stars also demonstrate their winning ways.  The U.S. Open started on August 30 in New York. A reinvigorated Naomi Osaka, the world’s No. 3 tennis champion, is aiming for a Grand Slam win. Osaka trained in NY since she was age 3, but she has kept her Japanese nationality.

Osaka is winning in other ways. She had pulled out of the French Open, citing the pressure of post-game press conferences. She took a break from Wimbledon as well, making her mental health a priority.

Since then, the French Open organizers have announced changes in dealing with athletes. The U.S. Open launched a mental health program. Other sports celebrities also admitted the pressure and mental health concerns while competing. One female contender pulled out of a tournament, citing mental health issues.

 

Filipina Makes History

Hidilyn Diaz made history as the Philippines’ first athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympics. She powered her way to win in the weightlifting event. She cleared 127 kilograms in her final lift in the clean and jerk, finishing with a total 224 kilograms. Both were new Olympic records.

Remarked community leader and journalist Bing Branigin: “Filipinos everywhere were so euphoric over her triumphant performance at the recent Tokyo Olympics. Her story of resilience and courage is remarkable.”

“Her victory lifted the hearts of her countrymen amid their sufferings due to the pandemic virus and its variants,” she said in an email. “I want to say to her: ‘Hidilyn, Thank you and Mabuhay!’” (Mabuhay, or Long Live!, is a celebratory greeting. It is a catch-all term like Hawaii’s Aloha, which is used to express many wonderful things.)

Hidilyn had a hard life. As a young girl, she lifted pails of water from the river to her house. She balanced two pails on both hands. Little did she know it was early training for the Olympics.

Hidilyn defeated Chinese Liao Qiuyun, who holds the world record for lifting 129 kilograms. But at the Tokyo Olympics, Qiuyun’s team chose 126 kilograms. When it came for Hidilyn’s turn, her coach said to lift just one kilogram more for the win.

Diaz said she had never lifted 127 kgs in all the time that she trained for the Tokyo Olympics. But her team of coach, strength trainer, nutritionist and psychologist assured her that she was ready for it. She had trained for nearly two years for the Olympics.

“Just before lifting it, I had a very short, short moment of concern it may result in injury,” she said in Pilipino in TV interviews. “But I told myself, (lift it) in ’one motion.’ I couldn’t believe that I did.”

She attributed her feat to God. She said people prayed for her throughout the Olympics. She herself wore a Miraculous Medal that day, she said, taking it off when she went to the platform for the lifts.

The Philippines had a record-setting four top medals at the Tokyo Olympics. Aside from Diaz, boxers Carlos Paalam and Nesthy Petecio won silver in their respective events. Eumir Marcial won bronze in boxing.

The winners received huge cash rewards from the government, as well as from private corporations elated over their history-making victories.

Hidilyn got the lion’s share from the government, CEOs and a congressman. President Rodrigo Duterte also personally pledged to give her 3 million pesos. He also gave her family in Southern Philippines a house and a lot. The estimated total for Hidilyn is 50 million pesos, or nearly $1 million, including initial commercial endorsements.

The Philippine Sports Commission awarded the three athletes a house and lot in Tagaytay City, a famous landmark. Companies also gifted all of them with a car.