Like many athletes, Nelly Korda came to the Olympics with the ambition of bringing home a gold medal for her country. Since childhood, Nelly has been an enthusiastic fan of both the Summer and Winter Games, but perhaps at that time Nelly never thought that she could realize that lofty dream…

And now, Nelly Korda is in Paris, competing for the United States in golf at the Olympics for the second time - as the defending champion and looking for a second gold medal. But in this return, Nelly Korda brings with her the thought of “Doesn't really feel like I'm defending, really.”

"I'm just going to go out, enjoy the experience, hopefully enjoy the fans. The men had amazing fans out here. I was wowed by how many people are out here watching and just happy that I'm back in this position. I'm here representing my country. I'm a two-time Olympian and I'm living out my dream.”

Here are 5 things to know about world No. 1 golfer Nelly Korda, a six-time LPGA champion this season, as she prepares to take to Le Golf National to fight for the 2024 Paris Olympics:

1. Representing the “sporting family”

Speaking of inspiration and motivation at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nelly Korda must have been Sovran Bank Classic inspired by her younger brother Sebastian’s victory on the ATP Tour (tennis) over the weekend, along with the triumph of compatriot Scottie Scheffler.

Last Sunday night, Sebastian, the youngest of the Kordas’ three children, won the Mubadala Citi DC Open, 32 years after his father, Pedr, won the Sovran Bank Classic. They are the first father-son duo to win the same ATP Tour event. Mother Regina Korda competed in the 1988 Olympics, and older sister Jessica was an Olympian, but Pedr never did.

Sebastian Korda celebrates after defeating Flavio Cobolli of Italy in the men's singles final at the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2024. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Sebastian could have joined his sister Nelly in Paris to represent the U.S. tennis team - but he chose not to. The Paris Olympics are held between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open (tennis), and many of the world's top players have skipped the Olympics to prepare for the next Grand Slam.

We always make fun of the boys because we say that the girls in the Korda family are the only ones that are the Olympians and the boys are not,” Nelly humorously shared.

2. Both athletes and spectators

Nelly Korda prioritizes absolute focus before preparing for a big event and completely isolates herself from any distractions, but she especially enjoys spending time at the Olympics as a spectator.

In 2021, Nelly was unable to watch other events live, and this time she returned to the stands to watch the sports she loves, including watching “swimmer” Katie Ledecky set a record for the US by winning the 800-meter freestyle (a victory that put Ledecky on par with Michael Phelps as the only swimmers to win four consecutive gold medals in an individual Olympic event).

Katie Ledecky of the United States competes in the Women's 800m Freestyle Final at the 2024 Olympic Games Paris. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

“That’s something that I watched as a kid was swimming and gymnastics,” Korda shared. “So getting to do that in person was definitely a bucket list thing.”

3. Gold medal for US women's golf after more than a decade

Three years ago in Tokyo, Korda beat Mone Inami (Japan) and Lydia Ko (New Zealand) by one stroke to become the first American woman to win a golf medal in more than a century, since Margaret Abbott won in 1900.

That year, on the first day of competition, Nelly Korda had a favorable start with a first round of 67 (-4), temporarily ranked second and only one stroke behind the leading golfer from Sweden, Madelene Sagstrom. The world's No. 1 female golfer continued her impressive performance in round 2 when she only needed 62 (-9) with 9 birdies, 1 eagle to complete the round. Nelly Korda could have broken the Olympic record if she birdied the par-4 18th hole to reach a score of 59. However, with 62 strokes, Nelly Korda was still the golfer with the best performance in round 2.

In round 3, Nelly Korda did not play as well as the first 2 rounds when she had a round of 69. However, the total score of -15 after 3 rounds still helped her maintain the top position and have many advantages in the deciding round.

Nelly Korda grabs gold after her victory at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021/ Mike Ehrmann

With what she has shown, most opinions believe that the Tokyo Olympic women's golf gold medal will be difficult to escape from Nelly Korda's hands. Despite that, the world's No. 1 female golfer encountered many difficulties when she made 4 consecutive pars and double bogey at hole 7, allowing Aditi Ashok (India) and Lydia Ko (New Zealand) to level the gap.

However, with the class of the world's No. 1 golfer, Nelly Korda continued to regain the advantage to surpass the two chasing opponents. However, the American star had to face another challenge, named Inami Mone, the golfer of the host country Japan, who leveled the gap with Nelly Korda after 17 holes.

On the final hole, while Inami Mone bogey, Nelly Korda finished the hole with a score of par and finished the 4th round with 69 strokes (-2). With a total score of -17 strokes, Nelly Korda became the champion of the women's golf event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Read more: Lydia Ko Looks to Complete Olympic Medal Trifecta in Women's Golf at Paris 2024

4. Unforgettable Feelings

With no fans in the stands in Tokyo, it was a quiet victory.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Golf - Women's Individual - Medal Ceremony - Kasumigaseki Country Club - Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan - August 7, 2021. Gold medalist Nelly Korda of the United States, silver medalist Mone Inami of Japan and bronze medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand pose on the podium. REUTERS/Toby Melville

"I didn’t really know what emotions I was going to have until I stood on the stage," said Korda. “As a kid, I watched so many athletes and all their raw emotions on that podium when their flag goes up and the National Anthem.

“And when I finally got to do it myself, there was a massive rush of emotions that go through me. I had a couple tears roll down my face. It said on my Whoop that was the highest my heart was all day was actually on the podium.”

5. Team USA 2024

The U.S. women’s golf team has three representatives, and Nelly Korda is the only member with previous experience in the event. Lilia Vu, the world’s No. 2 golfer, and Rose Zhang (No. 9) are preparing to make their Olympic debut.

In the weeks after her Tokyo win, Korda wrapped her medal in a sock and stashed it in her backpack. Every time she went through airport security, she begged them not to scratch it.

Nelly Korda (right), Lilia Vu (left), and Rose Zhang from Team USA watch the final round of the Men's 2024 Paris Olympics at Le Golf National. (Tracy Wilcox, PGA Tour/IGF)

The medal now sits in her home office, on a shelf alongside her Tokyo week badge, a handmade Olympic ring plaque from a tour caddie, and pins she’s traded with other Olympians. “My majors are on one shelf,” Nelly said, “and then the Olympics has its own shelf too,” as she treasures the mementos of a career she gave up her youth to pursue.