12 athletes, one coach from University of Hawai‘i competing in Paris Olympics

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is well represented at the 2024 Paris Olympics, as 13 current, former and future Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine – 12 athletes and one coach – are participating in the iconic games.

The 12 athletes match the highest total for the University of Hawaiʻi in any Olympics, as the university also sent 12 athletes to the games in 2000.

Two athletes represent the US – kiteboarder Daniela Moroz and men’s volleyball player Taylor Averill – along with women’s volleyball assistant coach Alfee Reft. Moroz and men’s basketball player Akira Jacobs (Japan) are current University of Hawaiʻi student-athletes, while water polo player Ema Vernoux (France) is an incoming freshman for the Rainbow Wahine. Water polo player Camille Radosavljevic (France) took a break from the University of Hawaiʻi but is expected to return following the Olympics.

Four of the 12 compete in water polo followed by three each in swimming and basketball (5×5 and 3×3), and one each in sailing and men’s volleyball. Along with the two US athletes, other countries represented include France (2), New Zealand (2), American Samoa (1), Australia (1), Canada (1), Japan (1), Latvia (1) and Netherlands (1).

The University of Hawaiʻi Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Robyn Ah Mow competed for the US in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics, and explained what the athletes are likely feeling ahead of this year’s games.

“Anxious, nervous, excited,” Ah Mow said. “We started playing right after the Opening Ceremonies, so we practiced all the way up to the start of the games. In all three, we were on site at least a week prior – we were training, we were there, so we were in the moment already.

“For the opening ceremonies…from my first one to the third one, they were all totally different. But for the first one, I was in amazement of just being there about to walk into the opening ceremonies to play in one of the biggest sporting events in the world,” Ah Mow continued. “To be one of only 12 out of a zillion players to make the US National Team was an achievement. I was proud to literally represent my country and Hawaiʻi where I was born and raised and went to school.”