Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two athletes will be competing under the American Samoa flag in next month’s 2024 Summer Olympics to be held in Paris, France — sprinter Filomenaleonisa Iakopo and swimmer Micah Masei.

This will be Filomenaleonisa’s first Olympics while Micah is the first two-time Olympian in swimming for American Samoa, having first competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Both athletes represented American Samoa in the 17th Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands last year, where Micah medaled bronze in the 100-meter Breaststroke and silver in the 50-meter Breaststroke.

Filomenaleonisa Iakopo on the other hand did not medal in the 100m and 200m events, but recorded three national records for American Samoa with the times she accomplished.

She went on later to record national records in the 60-meter dash of 8.44 seconds at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

The last international events they competed in before the Olympics was the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships in Suva, Fiji for Filomenaleonisa and the 8th Oceania Swimming Championships 2024 in April at the Gold Coast, Australia for Micah.

Competing against the best swimmers in the Oceania region, the two-time Olympian swimmer made his presence known by winning gold in the 50-meter Breaststroke and a silver medal in the 100-meter Breaststroke.

Earlier this year before the Oceania Champs Down Under, Micah had competed in the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar this past February.

Micah currently holds the American Samoa Long-Course National Record for the 100-meter Breaststroke with a time of 1:04.64, breaking his previous record of 1:04.93 registered at the Tokyo Olympics.

At present, he is attending a two-week pre-game training camp coordinated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in close collaboration with World Aquatics in Divonne-les-Bains

Micah is accompanied by his coach Cassandra Bess Lund, a Physical Education Instructor at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC). 

A native of California, Lund swam for USA Swimming in her youth and eventually progressed to coaching. Two of her swimmers medalled in the 2016 Olympics. She currently volunteers her time and experience  as national coach for the American Samoa Swimming Association (ASSA).

Communicating by social media, Coach Lund reported that Micah is continuing to acclimate to the new time zone and training venues and enjoying the camaraderie with his fellow Oceania athletes.

“His top priority is preparing for the Games,” said Coach Lund, “Nevertheless, the humble and down-to-earth young swimmer is happy to engage in events planned by our hosts, giving interviews, taking pictures, listening and speaking with fans seeking autographs, and expressing gratitude to all for these experiences.”

In an exclusive interview during the 17th Pacific Games in Solomon Islands last year, Micah told Samoa News that he was humbled by the fact that he had been given the honor of carrying the national flag of American Samoa during the Parade of Nations in the Opening Ceremony.

Two-time Olympian swimmer Micah Masei who will be representing American Samoa in the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. He also competed for the Territory in last year’s 17th Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands where he was given the honor of carrying the American Samoa flag during the Parade of Nations in the Opening Ceremony. [photo: Asi A. Fa’asau]

He shared that he was nervous because it was the first time he had been given the opportunity to perform this prestigious duty.

Born of a Samoan father who hails from the village of Faga’alu and a mother who is a US citizen of Chinese ancestry, the then 24-year-old swimmer revealed that traveling to American Samoa so that he could travel to the Games in the Solomons with Team American Samoa, was also the first time he had visited the land of his father’s ancestors.

“Representing American Samoa is very special to me and it will certainly give me another drive to push me towards the wall,” Micah declared.

Like Micah, the other athlete representing American Samoa at the 2024 Paris Olympics is also of mixed ancestry.

Filomenaleonisa Iakopo is the daughter of Stanley Iakopo of American Samoa and Priscilla Maratita of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

Filomenaleonisa was born and raised in Saipan but has competed internationally under the flag of American Samoa. 

She began her international athletics career as a 16-year-old competing in the 2022 Oceania Athletics Championships in Mackay, Australia. This was followed by the 2022 Pacific Mini Games in Saipan, 2023 Oceania Cup also in Saipan, the 17th Pacific Games 2023 in the Solomon Islands, 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland and last month’s Oceania Athletics Championships in Suva, Fiji.

Her father Stanley revealed that his daughter qualified for the Olympics by competing in multiple qualifying events and achieving the required times in sanctioned competitions.

In a recent interview with the media in Saipan, Filomenaleonisa shared her feelings about her mixed ancestry and finding out that she had qualified for the Olympics.

“I have worked very hard to achieve this goal of mine,” she pointed out. “I am extremely grateful that I am not only Chamorro but I am also Samoan and I am equally proud to carry both cultures. Who I am is deeply rooted in being both Chamorro and Samoan.”

She was beyond shock when she learned she got the ticket to Paris.

“When I got the news, I was overwhelmed with joy and disbelief. It felt like all my hard work and sacrifices had finally paid off,” said the 18-year-old who recently graduated in the Top 10 of her class at Kagman High School.

According to her father Stanley Iakopo, Filomenaleonisa is currently attending a pre-games training camp for track and field athletes in Geneva, Switzerland.

She is accompanied by her mother Priscilla who is also her coach.

After the 10-day training camp, the athletes will travel to Paris to acclimate and familiarize themselves with the facilities and sporting environment for another two weeks — before the Games begin.

The 2024 Summer Olympics are set to take place from July 26th to August 11th in Paris, France.