American coach leads Niger’s taekwondo team at Paris Olympics [Video]

Nikki Oliver, an American coach, is leading Niger’s taekwondo team at the Paris Olympics, marking her first time at the Games.”I think I’m still processing. I think it’ll probably hit when I get home, but the reality is this is something I’ve dreamt about since I was 7,” Oliver said.Oliver, a taekwondo master, narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympics as an athlete in 2016 and 2020 but made it as a coach in 2024.”It’s been a crazy ride,” Oliver said.Oliver is not part of Team USA. She is coaching the West African nation of Niger.”I had a good working relationship with some of the Team USA coaches, and they have a great working relationship with Team Niger, and it was able to work out the way it did,” Oliver said.Oliver’s path is not unique; dozens of American-born coaches are at the Olympics helping foreign nations.”America is known as the melting …