Crew USA consists of three gamers for the 2024 Olympics ladies’s golf competitors.
They’ve World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who appears to defend her gold medal from 2021 on the Tokyo Video games. World No. 2 Lilia Vu and World No. 9 Rose Zhang make their Olympic debuts.
When Korda made her debut, COVID-19 restricted the whole lot. She and the opposite athletes couldn’t attend completely different sporting occasions or actually expertise the Olympics.
Nonetheless, This 12 months, all three women noticed their fellow People compete of their sports activities.
Forward of the golf event that begins Wednesday morning, Korda, Vu and Zhang detailed their experiences up to now and what it means to them to be Olympians.
All three went to see the Crew USA swimmers do their factor and witness greatness.
“I caught Katie Ledecky win the 800, which is cool, and a few the relays,” Korda mentioned. “In order that was thrilling. Getting to do this in individual was positively a bucket listing factor.”
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Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photos
“All of us went to see a few occasions,” Zhang mentioned. “We went to observe swimming on Saturday night time and typically, I’m simply feeling actually good vibes after I’m out right here. We obtained to observe the boys’s a bit bit, and it’s been a cool expertise up to now.”
Watching the opposite occasions made Vu notice this was not a dream however a actuality. She is among the three Crew USA Olympians for ladies’s golf. Along with her harm earlier this 12 months, it was unsure if she would even be in Paris.
“It hit me once we went to observe swimming the opposite night time,” Vu mentioned. The crowds had been tremendous passionate, and we noticed Katie Ledecky get one other Gold. It was emotional listening to our Nationwide Anthem, and I can’t wait to do the identical.”
They even watched Scottie Scheffler win his Gold medal on the clubhouse tv. Vu and Zhang mentioned they put themselves in entrance of the TV and obtained to cheer for him.
For the Korda’s, the Olympics run deep into the household.
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Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photos
“We watched it quite a bit, each two years, even the winter Olympics. That’s one thing all of us did as a household,” Korda mentioned. “There’s nothing like representing your nation, so getting to do this on the Olympic stage is a dream come true.”
Korda’s mother can be an Olympian, showing within the 1988 Video games. The Korda women love to make use of their bragging rights in terms of the Video games.
“We all the time make enjoyable of the boys as a result of we are saying that the women within the Korda household are the one ones who’re Olympians, and the boys aren’t,” Korda famous. My dad and my brother could or might not be. So we’ve got that above them within the household.”
Vu and Zhang are taking all of it in as first-time Olympians. From buying and selling pins to catching the opposite occasions, representing america appears to be a privilege.
“The Olympics is such a special degree when it comes to representing your nation,” Zhang mentioned. “Everyone seems to be tuning in to observe and supporting. It’s all the time an actual nice honor for us athletes, and I believe it’s the very best regard or customary for us to have the ability to symbolize our nations.”
Not many get to expertise the Olympics from an athlete’s perspective. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime factor that even fewer get to do a number of instances. All three of those women appear to be having fun with each second of it.
Now, they may compete at Le Golf Nationwide for Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. All three women might see the rostrum, however who might win the Gold?
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. For extra golf protection, comply with us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You can even comply with her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.