The Olympics have captivated the world once more, this time in Paris. With the power of social media and the internet, it’s not hard to get a peek at the who’s who in the games. Not to mention the returning and debuting Asian diaspora athletes on Team USA that are hungry for a gold medal.
From fencing to volleyball, these athletes have taken different paths to make it to Paris, and for some, they’re set to make history. Discover the inspiring journeys of these athletes as they compete for gold and make a meaningful impact on their communities.
Asher Hong
Image courtesy of Olympics.com
Chinese-American gymnast Asher Hong is competing for the first time in the Olympics on the U.S. men’s gymnastics team. From Tomball, TX, Hong started his journey in gymnastics back in 2009. As only a sophomore at Stanford University, Hong has already racked up eight medals to his name, including a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2023. On July 29, the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Team won for the first time since 2008, securing a bronze medal for Team USA and a first for Hong.
Sunny Choi
Image courtesy of Lanna Apisukh/TIME
Did you know that breaking is now a part of the Olympics? The sport is making its debut at the Paris Olympics, and the top-ranked B-girl in the U.S. will be showing the world what the sport is all about. Sunny Choi secured her spot as an Olympian after winning the first Pan American breaking gold medal. The 35-year-old got into breaking during her freshman year at UPenn when she joined a breaking club. In her breaking career, Choi has earned silver medals at the 2019 World Urban Games, the 2022 IWGA World Games, and the 2023 Pan American Championships.
Kerry and Annie Xu
Image courtesy of NBC Bay Area
If you think you’re seeing double, you’re not imagining it. Twin sisters Kerry and Annie Xu bring twice the challenge to their competition. According to NBC Bay Area, this can be leverage against their opponents. The sisters began playing Badminton at eight years old and were winning national titles by the time they were 12. They graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and are the first twins to compete in a U.S. Summer Olympics team since 1996.
Mitchell Saron
Image courtesy of Team USA
Filipino-American fencer Mitchell Saron is a senior at Harvard University and a member of the Men’s Fencing Team. From Ridgewood, N.J., Saron secured a spot in the Olympics after his team won a silver medal at the Padua World Cup and a gold medal at the Men’s Saber World Cup. He came in 7th in the Team Sabre and 14th in the Individual Sabre at the Paris Olympics.
Leanne Wong
Image courtesy of Team USA
Leanne Wong started her journey into gymnastics in 2008 and is currently on the gymnastics team at the University of Florida. Wong is a two-time World Champion and a seven-time U.S. National Team member from Overland Park, Kansas. She was an alternate for the 2020 Olympic team in Tokyo but is making her debut in artistic gymnastics at the Paris Olympics. Don’t let the gentle smile fool you because “competing is one of [her] favorite things in gymnastics.” Along with gymnastics, Wong is the CEO and founder of Leanne Wong Bowtique, where she sells her handmade bows and gymnastic apparel.
Sunisa Lee
Image courtesy of GETTY IMAGES
Sunisa “Suni” Lee is no stranger to the Olympics. She was an all-around champion at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and became the first woman of Asian descent and the first Hmong-American to win an Olympic all-around title. She began gymnastics at age six and is now a gymnast at Auburn University. Despite being diagnosed with two rare kidney diseases, Lee secured a bronze medal on Aug. 1, following Team USA’s gold medal victory.
