But the 18-year-old recent Kagman High School graduate didn\u2019t leave the French capital without leaving her mark as she reset the national record for the 100m for the country she represented, American Samoa, her father Stanley\u2019s home country.<\/p>\n
Iakopo ran the century dash in 12.78 last Aug. 2 to reset her own record of 13.00 she set in last year\u2019s Micronesian Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Before that, the 13.39 set by Lila Waetin in the 2007 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa was untouched for 16 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI dedicate all my success to my family. If it wasn\u2019t for them, I wouldn\u2019t have made it this far. Their support and belief in my ability to achieve my dreams have been the backbone of my journey. Through every challenge and wins they have stood by me. This achievement is as much as theirs as it is mine,\u201d she said of resetting anew the 100m national record of American Samoa.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that she felt a sense of accomplishment more than anything else after completing what she set out to do in the Paris Olympics.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce I crossed the finish line, I congratulated the respected athletes within my heat and waited for my time on the main screen. I was in complete shock and overwhelmed with joy. My goal coming into the Olympic Games was to run a personal best and it is the best feeling I have accomplished that.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for how she celebrated after the 100m event and the new national record, Iakopo did what everyone would do in one of the gastronomic capitals of the world\u2014eat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI celebrated my national record with my mom and two god-sisters who flew all the way from the United States to watch me compete in France. We had a dinner and I enjoyed a lot of pastries and pasta.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iakopo said she feels proud to have represented her father\u2019s home islands in the quadrennial event and that it came with the bonus of resetting her own 100m American Samoa national record.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am feeling so blessed and honored to be a part of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Competing in the Olympics is a huge achievement in itself but breaking a personal best which sets a new national record for American Samoa [is icing on the cake].\u201d<\/p>\n
At Baylor, Iakopo plans to continue her track and field career, and perhaps even restart her interest in bodybuilding,<\/p>\n
\u201cI do plan on continuing track and field in college. I will try to go on as a walk on or join an athletics club in Texas…I would also love to continue bodybuilding and maybe do a show. However, I really want to focus on refining my technique and speed in track and field,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Her parents, Stanley and Priscilla, said they\u2019re immensely proud of what their daughter was able to accomplish nearly 7,500 miles away from Saipan.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur daughter\u2019s success in the Olympics is a dream come true for our family. We are beaming with pride knowing that our daughter has made history. Watching our daughter cross the finish line, seeing her name on the scoreboard, and knowing that she\u2019s beaten her personal best and set a new national record is a moment we\u2019ll treasure forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Iakopos added that their daughter\u2019s recent success in sports is a testament that their commitment in supporting her athletic endeavors was well worth it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve invested and sacrificed a lot for our children, so that they have the opportunity in life to succeed. We\u2019ve spent countless hours, sleepless nights, and endless worries ensuring that they have every chance to thrive. We\u2019ve sacrificed time, money, and resources to provide them with the best possible training and support.\u201d<\/p>\n
They also said that their daughter\u2019s achievement was not just a testament to her own hard work and determination, but also a reflection of the support and encouragement of her siblings, who have been her biggest cheerleaders every step of the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re grateful for the bond they share and the love they have for each other. We know that our investment in our children\u2019s future has been worth it, and we can\u2019t wait to see what the future holds for all of them! We\u2019re also deeply grateful to everyone who has supported our daughter, Filomenaleonisa, throughout her \u2018road to the Olympics\u2019 journey. Whether big or small, your support has made a significant impact, and we\u2019re thankful for your love and encouragement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Filomenaleonisa Iakopo, third from right, in action in the preliminary heat of the 100m event of the 2024 Paris Olympics last Aug. 2.<\/p>\n -CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Filomenaleonisa Iakopo competes in the 100m event of the 2024 Paris Olympics last Aug. 2.<\/p>\n -CONTRIBUTED PHOTO After fulfilling her lifelong dream of competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Saipan-born and raised…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-412259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=412259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412259\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=412259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=412259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=412259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/images\/imgupload\/504dd392f6899f046e5b148368857564.jpg\")
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