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Naomi Osaka Lights The Olympic Flame At The Opening Ceremony

Naomi Osaka Lights The Olympic Flame At The Opening Ceremony

Star tennis player, Naomi Osaka carried out the final torch for the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in what she described as the "greatest athletic achievement and honor" she will ever have.


Osaka is 23 years old and half Haitian, half Japanese. She has lived in the United States since she was three, but was born in Japan. She will be competing for Japan in the games, but in order to do that she was required to give up her U.S. citizenship.

The flame was first lit in March 2020 but due to the pandemic, the relay had to be stopped. After over a year of the flame staying lit, the Olympic Torch Relay started on March 25, 2021 and then finally got to Tokyo on July 9.

Theories that the tennis player would light the flame, began when a request was put in for Osaka's match scheduled for Saturday to be pushed back to Sunday.

On Instagram earlier today, Osaka posted a series of photos with a sentimental caption,

Tune in to Naomi's first match of the 2020 Olympics on Sunday!

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Elizabeth von Seggern