The 2024 Olympic Games kicked off in Paris on Friday as athletes traveled down the River Seine on boats.
Among the athletes with Hawaiʻi ties was 100-meter sprinter Joseph Green. He was born in Hawaiʻi but grew up on Guam.
Look out for Green competing for Guam in track and field events next week. He said his first race is scheduled for Aug. 3.
"I've always wanted to be in the Olympics. And to be able to represent my home of Guam, which is a small island, is basically representing my whole family. And of course, I want to do anything I can to put on a show for my family," he added.
Green said he's been enjoying meeting athletes from around the world in the Olympic Village.
"It's basically its own little city on the inside, and everybody in there is the best in their country. So it's filled with world-class athletes," he told HPR. "It's surreal to me that I'm even here."
Green ran for Minot State University in North Dakota before transferring to the University of Arizona.
This interview aired on The Conversation on July 26, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
