Just LOL at Japan for having someone who didnt even grow up in Japan light their own Cauldron

She also doesnt even live in Japan.......

She gave up her US citizenship some years back.

Mom is Japanese.

Who would you have had? Seko? A gymnast?

More importantly, do the Japanese people care?

she doesnt speak japanese

I dont care if she wants to be a japanese citizen

but she shouldnt be representing the country to light the cauldron - plenty of famous japanese athletes that live and speak japanese that deserve it.

deltasurvivor wrote:

Naomi Osaka? Swore she was an American citizen....

She didn't grow up in Japan.

I respect that she wants to identify as Japanese, but to represent the country for lighting the Cauldron?

That would be like Boris Johnson representing the United States as our UN Ambassador (he was born in the USA).

Slap in the face to the rest of the Japanese Athletes.....

She was born in Japan but was raised (New York & Florida) and still lives in the United States (California). However, she is a Japanese citizen.

I think everyone with two brain cells knows why the Japanese Olympic Committee picked Naomi to light the cauldron.

She was a great, obvious choice but I was hoping to see one of those huge sumo wrestlers run up the stairs.

energeticlotuseater wrote:

deltasurvivor wrote:

Naomi Osaka? Swore she was an American citizen....

She didn't grow up in Japan.

I respect that she wants to identify as Japanese, but to represent the country for lighting the Cauldron?

That would be like Boris Johnson representing the United States as our UN Ambassador (he was born in the USA).

Slap in the face to the rest of the Japanese Athletes.....

She was born in Japan but was raised (New York & Florida) and still lives in the United States (California). However, she is a Japanese citizen.

I think everyone with two brain cells knows why the Japanese Olympic Committee picked Naomi to light the cauldron.

Why doesn't she live in Japan then if she so strongly wants to be an Japanese citizen and compete for their team?

notworstyearever wrote:

energeticlotuseater wrote:

She was born in Japan but was raised (New York & Florida) and still lives in the United States (California). However, she is a Japanese citizen.

I think everyone with two brain cells knows why the Japanese Olympic Committee picked Naomi to light the cauldron.

Why doesn't she live in Japan then if she so strongly wants to be an Japanese citizen and compete for their team?

Maybe because she's a professional tennis player and wants to be around other players in an environment conducive to training and traveling to competitions.

notworstyearever wrote:Why doesn't she live in Japan then if she so strongly wants to be an Japanese citizen and compete for their team?

The same could be said for a number of male US soccer players who were born in another country. They have never lived in the US but live in the country they were born yet they have US citizenship due to one of their parents being a US citizen.

Luv2Run wrote:

She gave up her US citizenship some years back.

Mom is Japanese.

Who would you have had? Seko? A gymnast?

More importantly, do the Japanese people care?

No she didn't, dumas.