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

Workforce 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 all the things. She and the opposite athletes couldn’t attend totally different sporting occasions or actually expertise the Olympics.

Nonetheless, This 12 months, all three girls noticed their fellow People compete of their sports activities.

Forward of the golf match 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 Workforce 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 try this in individual was undoubtedly a bucket checklist factor.”

Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Pictures

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

Watching the opposite occasions made Vu understand this was not a dream however a actuality. She is likely one of the three Workforce USA Olympians for ladies’s golf. Together 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 evening,” Vu stated. 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 stated they put themselves in entrance of the TV and acquired to cheer for him.

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

Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Pictures

“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 stated. “There’s nothing like representing your nation, so getting to try 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 terms 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 should not,” Korda famous. My dad and my brother could or is probably not. So we have now 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 the US appears to be a privilege.

“The Olympics is such a special degree when it comes to 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 commonplace for us to have the ability to signify our international locations.”

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 may 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 Via. 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.