(Golfaq.com, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France) - Lydia Ko has firmly cemented her name in Olympic history with two medals already before reaching the age of 30, but the Kiwi star has her sights set on attaining an unprecedented third podium finish at Le Golf National this week in the women's competition. As the lone two-time medalist in Olympic golf so far - having claimed silver at Rio 2016 and bronze in her title defense in Tokyo 2020 - Ko is on the precipice of golfing immortality by replicating a "trifecta" of medals across three Olympic appearances.

Nelly Korda, Mone Inami and Lydia Ko and celebrate with their medals on the podium at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club. (Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)

While many believed golf's return to the Games was uncertain after a century-long absence, Ko has been at the forefront of establishing the sport's newfound prominence on sport's biggest stage. As a teenager in Rio, Ko dazzled observers with her poise under immense pressure, narrowly missing out on gold and helping propel golf's profile within the Olympic movement in its sophomore appearance. Five years later in sweltering Tokyo conditions, Ko once again proved her mettle by negotiating the challenges to snare another podium spot, further cementing her status as one of golf's bona fide "Olympians."

"I think [Olympic golf] obviously has grown a lot, and with anything, I think there always is going to be that time period where it kind of gets incorporated smoothly," said the articulate Kiwi, reflecting on just how far the game has come during her lifetime. "I think it's quite hard because both in Rio and Tokyo we had external factors that were affecting maybe players' choices in attending the Games even though they qualified." 

“I feel like this is the first one back and it's been, like, boom, this past week, and I think that's great.”

For Ko, now 27, a third Olympic medal at this year's Paris Games could be her final shot to complete a historic collection. And as the most decorated women's golfer in the sport's short Olympic history thus far, Ko has given herself the best possible platform to achieve something no golfer has ever done before.

When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in 2009 that golf would return to the Olympics after over a century-long absence, the then 12-year-old Ko was just starting to make a name for herself in the junior ranks back home in New Zealand. Little could she have known that this decision by sport's highest governing body would open up a new dream - to one day follow in the footsteps of her sporting idols by competing on golf's biggest global stage.

Andrew Redington

Fast forward to 2016, and Ko had established herself as the world's top-ranked player after rising to number one in the world at just 17. In Rio, she managed to exceed all expectations in her Olympic debut. After a blistering third round 65 catapulted her up the leaderboard, Ko then held her nerve in a dramatic final round duel with China's Shanshan Feng. Meanwhile, South Korea's Inbee Park was a class above in sailing to victory, triumphantly completing a five-shot wire-to-wire victory. Ko had announced herself on Olympic golf's grandest introduction, with many more highlights still to come in her illustrious career.

“I'm sure there are many other junior golfers that watched yesterday's round from all over the world that are going to get inspiration from them for competing in the Olympics themselves in five or 10 years' time.”

Silver medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand, gold medalist Inbee Park of Korea and bronze medalist Shanshan Feng of China pose on the podium during the medal ceremony at the 2016 Olympics at the Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

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With women's golf experiencing unprecedented interest worldwide thanks to stars like Ko trailblazing the way, a third act of Olympic magic from Ko in France could be the biggest step yet in cementing golf as one of the Summer Games' marquee events.

For Ko, being a former world No.1 with 20 LPGA titles under her belt and the brink of automatic entry into the sport's highest honor as an LPGA Hall of Famer, the Olympics now hold a special significance beyond anything she could have envisioned as a youngster.

"When I first started golf, I didn't think I would be able to say I'm an Olympian," reflected the Kiwi sensation."I thought that's something that I turn on the TV during the Olympic Games and I see, like, Usain Bolt or a Simone Biles and go, 'Wow, they are Olympians, but I'm just a golfer.' But now I can say I'm an Olympian just like them, and that's something I'm very proud of,” Ko said. “I know for a fact that many junior golfers are going to dream and work towards them representing their countries at the Olympics in the future Games.”

Ko finds herself in a unique situation this week in Paris - at the peak of her powers as an 11-year touring veteran, but also acutely aware that at 27 and with an uncertain future ahead, this could represent her final shot at adding to her historic two-medal collection in a sport where only three podium spots are up for grabs. Now with greater perspective from three distinct chapters in her career, Ko feels the gravity of just how special any Olympic achievement is.

“I think I'm at three very different points in my career, and even where I was ranked in Rio, I played with a lot of pressure just being the No. 1-ranked player in the women's side,” she said. “I had been so eager and excited to play in the Olympics on that first day that I remember the first tee shot, I barely made contact on my driver. That's how nervous I was.

“In Tokyo, I think knowing that I medaled in the previous Games, it put a little less pressure thinking I have one medal, and I think I was just more focused on enjoying the Games. As of now, I've got the most medals both in the women's and men's side in golf, so that's a pretty cool thing to have. And if I can leave Paris with another medal, that will be very special to me because you just never know what's going to happen in the future. I don't know if this is maybe potentially my last opportunity to medal just because I don't know what's ahead. I really want to enjoy it and give myself a good run at it.”

A triumph for gold would complete a feat no golfer has accomplished before in medaling across three successive Games. And it seems Ko's family are just as invested, with her silver and bronze prizes already claimed by her sister and father respectively - leaving the coveted gold to be retained by Ko herself if her "trifecta" dream becomes reality in France. But as is her way, she'll look only to enjoy the moment rather than buckling under any outsized pressure on golf's grandest global stage.

“If I win the gold, I'm definitely taking all of them back and find a way to kind of present all three,” she said.

All eyes will be on Ko and whether she can complete a prestigious triple by hoisting gold for the very first time on the game's biggest stage.