SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Katie Ledecky has known Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela since the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The two first met when Valenzuela went up to the swimmer in Brazil to let her know they’d be classmates at Stanford University that fall. They’ve been close friends since, even as Ledecky has risen to the top of her sport and Valenzuela has traveled and competed full-time on the LPGA Tour, earning eight top-10 finishes since joining the organization in 2020.
So it wasn’t a surprise to see Valenzuela’s old schoolmate on Friday at Le Golf National. Well, it was for Valenzuela herself, who was floored that Ledecky had come to support her.
“One of our really close mutual friends also is here today cheering her on,” Ledecky told NBC. “(We) surprised (Albane), so (it has been) a special morning for the three of us.”
But Valenzuela wasn’t the only professional golfer that the nine-time Olympic gold medalist met during the third round of the Olympic women’s golf competition. She snapped a photo with LPGA Hall of Famer and International Golf Federation President Annika Sorenstam, a 72-time LPGA Tour winner who, like Ledecky in women’s swimming, is widely considered to be the greatest of all time in women’s golf.
She even got to meet Team USA’s Nelly Korda, with whom she shares a Czech heritage and who watched Ledecky compete at the Paris Games ahead of the women’s golf competition.
Ledecky has also gotten to take in some other Olympic sports now that she’s wrapped up her own events in Paris. She was courtside for Team USA women’s basketball win over Nigeria on Wednesday evening and saw the American men defeat Serbia 95-91 in basketball on Thursday night.
Watching other athletes compete is not something that Ledecky usually has the opportunity to do during the Games. But considering she has to stay in Paris until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday where she’ll serve as one of Team USA’s flagbearers, the 27-year-old has been more than happy to serve as a fan this week instead of an Olympic competitor.
“This is my first Olympics where I've gotten to go to other sports,” Ledecky 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 traveling to all the events.”
Valenzuela carded rounds of 72-74 over the first two days at Le Golf National and will need to kick things into high gear quickly if she wants to climb the leaderboard and be within striking distance for Saturday’s final round.
It will take quite an effort for Valenzuela to put herself in that position, but there’s nothing like the support of a nine-time Olympic gold medalist to spur you on.
)
)
)
)
