Like most American teenagers, 16-year-old Kanak Jha goes to high school, plays sports and is competitive with his sister.
But he’s also the first U.S. athlete born in 2000 to qualify for the Olympics, and in Rio de Janeiro this summer, he will be the youngest male player in the world ever to compete in table tennis at the Games.
“It’s so impressive to watch that kid go at it,” said USA Table Tennis CEO Gordon Kaye. “He just has this sort of unknown X factor. He has this will and he has this determination, and it’s really impressive to watch.