The women’s golf competition at the 2024 Olympics had a special guest on Friday as swimming legend Katie Ledecky was there.
Round 3 of the women’s golf competition for the 2024 Olympics is underway at Le Golf National. Sixty women from 33 countries compete to win Gold, Silver or Bronze.
However, a special celebrity guest was on site for Friday’s round. Olympic legend and 9-time gold medal-winning swimmer Katie Ledecky came to show support for her college friend Albane Valenzuela of Team Switzerland and to meet and watch the three ladies from Team USA.
“I’ve known Albane since 2016,” Ledecky said. “She is the main reason I came out, but I also met Nelly Korda on the way in today. She came to the swimming pool last week and cheered me on. I have some Czech background as well (Korda’s parents are Czech); my grandfather is Czech.”
Katie Ledecky surprised her good friend @AlbaneGolf
— Olympic Golf (@OlympicGolf) August 9, 2024
before she teed off in the #Paris2024 third round! ✨
The two are good friends from Stanford! pic.twitter.com/WU2KVFtLul
It seems she wanted to return the favor to the athletes who watched her win yet another gold medal.
With the Games over, the swimmer has been able to attend different sporting events, which is not usually something she gets to do.
“This is my first Olympics where I’ve got to go to other sports,” she said. “It’s been a whirlwind few days, but since I am done competing, I don’t mind the lack of sleep and the walking and travelling to all the events.”
“I went to the women’s basketball two nights ago and the men’s basketball game last night, the US game (the 95-91 semifinal win over Serbia). That was incredible.”
Ledecky does not currently play golf but noted that many of her swimming friends do, so it could be a safe “land sport” for her to try.
“At some point, I’ll pick up a club and learn. I’ll have to rely on Albane for that,” she said.
In this year’s games, Ledecky won Gold in the women’s 1500m and 800m freestyle, which Korda, Rose Zhang and Lilia Vu watched. Those two Gold medals put her at nine total, the most won by a woman.
She also won silver in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay and bronze in the women’s 400m freestyle.
Ledecky has 14 medals total, making her the most decorated U.S. Olympic woman and fifth in men's and women’s history.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
