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Tokyo (AP) — What a moment for Naomi Osaka! For a new Japan. Because of racial injustice. For female athletes. For tennis.
The four Grand Slam winners ignited the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday.
It was a recognized choice all over the world. Of course, in Japan, Osaka is the country where she was born and the country where she plays. NS Haiti confused Because it is from her father. And yes, in the United States, the world’s most profitable female athletes live and speak out about racial injustice.
Besides, Osaka is a superstar, so anywhere in the meantime.
However, she often receives an unpleasant welcome in Japan because of her race when her family moved to the United States at the age of three. Her emergence as a top tennis player changes.
It’s always a mystery until the last moment when you get the honor of lighting a cauldron.
Sadaharu Oh, Shigeo Nagashima, and Hideki Matsui were one of the great baseball players who participated in bringing flames to the stadium. And in a country where baseball is the number one sport, Osaka was not always expected to receive the ultimate honor.
But when the stairs went up, she was in the middle of the stage, a cauldron opened on the summit inspired by Mt. Fuji and Osaka, and the Olympic and Japanese flags blew up to her left. She soaked the flames, the cauldron ignited, and fireworks filled the sky.
“Undoubtedly, it’s the best exercise achievement and honor I’ve ever experienced.” Osaka wrote on Instagram Next to her photo laughing while holding a flame. “I don’t have any words to describe my feelings now, but now I’m full of gratitude and gratitude.”
For 23-year-old Osaka, we have concluded a series of events over the past two months.
Osaka, which ranks second in the French Open, announced that it will participate in the French Open in late May and will not talk to reporters at the French Open.
Then, after her first round victory, she skipped the mandatory press conference.
Osaka was fined $ 15,000 and, surprisingly, was publicly accused by the Grand Slam tournament director.
The next day, Osaka completely withdrew from the French Open to take a mental health break, revealing that she had dealt with depression.
She also sat in Wimbledon. So the Tokyo Olympics show that she has returned to the competition.
“The Olympics are a special time for the world to get together and celebrate sports. I’m most looking forward to being with athletes who have been waiting and trained for over a decade to celebrate the very tough year (2020). What happens in Japan makes it much more special. She was chosen by 2020AP Female Athletes of the Year.. “It’s a special and beautiful country full of culture, history and beauty. I can’t get any more excited.”
The opening round of the Olympic Tennis Tournament was postponed from Saturday to Sunday, and there was no explanation earlier in the day, so there was a big hint that Osaka could play an important role in the ceremony.
She was initially scheduled to face China’s 52nd-placed Zheng Saisai in the first match of the tournament on Saturday morning at Center Court. But apparently by lighting the flames as midnight approached, she would not have been able to get enough rest for the early morning match.
Osaka became the first tennis player to ignite the Olympic torch. She is also one of the few active athletes to be honored. Australian sprinter Cathy Freeman ignited the cauldron of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and won the gold medal at 400 meters.
Osaka, along with top-ranked Ashleigh Barty, is popular for winning women’s singles titles in tennis tournaments. Novak Djokovic aims to be the first man to win a Golden Slam by holding all four Grand Slam trophies and Olympic Gold. Same year.
Whatever the final result on the court, Osaka is already part of the history of the Olympics.
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Andrew Dampf is located at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf
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Other AP Olympics: https: //apnews.com/hub/2020-tokyo-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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