2024 Olympics: Staff USA ladies element their full expertise in Paris

Staff USA consists of three gamers for the 2024 Olympics ladies’s golf competitors.

They’ve World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who appears to be like 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 all the things. She and the opposite athletes couldn’t attend totally different sporting occasions or actually expertise the Olympics.

Nevertheless, This yr, all three girls noticed their fellow Individuals compete of their sports activities.

Forward of the golf event that begins Wednesday morning, Korda, Vu and Zhang detailed their experiences to this point and what it means to them to be Olympians.

All three went to see the Staff USA swimmers do their factor and witness greatness.

“I caught Katie Ledecky win the 800, which is cool, and a few the relays,” Korda stated. “In order that was thrilling. Getting to do this in individual was undoubtedly a bucket record factor.”

Photograph by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs

“All of us went to see a few occasions,” Zhang stated. “We went to observe swimming on Saturday night time and normally, I’m simply feeling actually good vibes after I’m out right here. We received to observe the boys’s a bit of bit, and it’s been a cool expertise to this point.”

Watching the opposite occasions made Vu understand this was not a dream however a actuality. She is likely one of the three Staff USA Olympians for girls’s golf. Along with her damage earlier this yr, it was unsure if she would even be in Paris.

“It hit me once we went to observe swimming the opposite night time,” Vu stated. The crowds have 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 stated they put themselves in entrance of the TV and received to cheer for him.

For the Korda’s, the Olympics run deep into the household.

Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photographs

“We watched it rather a lot, each two years, even the winter Olympics. That’s one thing all of us did as a household,” Korda stated. “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 also be an Olympian, showing within the 1988 Video games. The Korda girls love to make use of their bragging rights in the case of the Video games.

“We at all times make enjoyable of the boys as a result of we are saying that the ladies within the Korda household are the one ones who’re Olympians, and the boys aren’t,” Korda famous. My dad and my brother might or is probably not. So we’ve 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 distinct degree by way of representing your nation,” Zhang stated. “Everyone seems to be tuning in to observe and supporting. It’s at all times an actual nice honor for us athletes, and I feel it’s the best regard or normal for us to have the ability to characterize 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 occasions. All three of those girls appear to be having fun with each second of it.

Now, they are going to compete at Le Golf Nationwide for Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. All three girls might see the rostrum, however who might win the Gold?

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. For extra golf protection, comply with us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You too can comply with her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.