2024 Olympics: Crew USA girls element their full expertise in Paris

Crew USA consists of three gamers for the 2024 Olympics girls’s golf competitors.

They’ve World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who seems 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 yr, 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 to date 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 stated. “In order that was thrilling. Getting to try this in particular person was undoubtedly a bucket checklist factor.”

Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photos

“All of us went to see a few occasions,” Zhang stated. “We went to look at swimming on Saturday evening and on the whole, I’m simply feeling actually good vibes once I’m out right here. We obtained to look at the boys’s a little bit bit, and it’s been a cool expertise to date.”

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

“It hit me after we went to look at 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 obtained to cheer for him.

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

Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photos

“We watched it lots, 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 women love to make use of their bragging rights relating to 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 will not be,” Korda famous. My dad and my brother might 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 america appears to be a privilege.

“The Olympics is such a special stage by way of representing your nation,” Zhang stated. “Everyone seems to be tuning in to look at and supporting. It’s at all times an actual nice honor for us athletes, and I believe it’s the best regard or normal for us to have the ability to characterize 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 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 may see the rostrum, however who may 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, observe us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You can too observe her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.