What Team USA is Hoping For in the 2024 Olympics & Paralympics
Whether it's going for gold, setting a world record, or exploring Paris, SELF got the lowdown on what Team USA is hoping for at the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.
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00:00The biggest thing I'm looking forward to is that moment when I'm walking out for my first match or for the finals.
00:05I'm really gonna soak that in because I'm not gonna get that opportunity many times.
00:14I think what's super special about field hockey is that we're gonna be playing in the
00:181924 Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremonies and like I'm a huge Olympic fan
00:23so to have that historical roots in the games is incredibly special.
00:28What's less serious is I love croissants and like in my head Paris is the city of croissants
00:33and so I'm like really hoping that I can just fuel off of croissants the entire time.
00:37When we went to Pan Ams it was like a similar like it was a village, it was Pan Am Village
00:41and just being in the village was so cool because you're walking around all these like amazing athletes that you know of.
00:46The hopes for this year's games is obviously to win another gold.
00:50This will be our third consecutive gold medal if we're successful
00:53which has never been done in the history of our sport in the Paralympic Games.
00:57So we're kind of chasing history as a group, but for me this will be my last Paralympic Games.
01:01So success is not only defined by on-the-court success
01:05but I'm very much looking forward to transitioning into the next phase of my life, and I just know that
01:11when that buzzer sounds in my last Team USA game in Paris 2024, there's gonna be tons of emotions
01:18but I'll be able to look back on my career with absolutely no regrets, a lot of highs, a lot of lows,
01:24and I wouldn't change anything for a different outcome at any point in the journey.
01:29Croissants and macarons.
01:31And hopefully celebrating a gold medal with some macarons at the Eiffel Tower.
01:36So you may think my hopes for this games are winning a medal
01:39and I know that every great athlete should be always be like medal, medal, medal, medal.
01:44But this games could be four to five, five to four other armless archers.
01:49For the first time in the history of the sport.
01:51In fact, the number one ranked female archer in the world right now has no arms.
01:56And so to have that, whether I win or lose, whether I make it or not make it,
02:00like having that legacy continued to carry on the armless archer legacy,
02:05which is more about showing the world that anything is possible.
02:08Like that's honestly what I really want out of this one.
02:11It's my gold medal.
02:13It's my Michael Jordan moment.
02:15I hope to win a medal at this year's games.
02:19I hope to enjoy it and make a lot of memories.
02:21It's just something that I can maybe tell my kids about or, you know,
02:24my grandkids about, but just like understanding how special of an experience
02:28this is, whether we win a medal or not, this is something not many people get to do.
02:32For the games this year, I'm most looking forward to
02:35hopefully reaching our goal and being on the top of the podium,
02:39but also just getting to showcase the incredible talent and skills
02:43and hard work that we've invested as a team into this journey.
02:48I'm really excited for just the opportunity to play in an Olympics.
02:52I think no matter if you've done it once or twice, three times,
02:56it's such a gift to be there.
02:58I think a big part of of being an athlete and being an Olympic
03:03athlete is kind of having to battle the anticipation and the expectations.
03:07And I feel like I do a pretty good job of doing that.
03:08You know, I do sit here and say I want two goals.
03:11And yes, that's obviously the goal.
03:12And I prepare for that goal every day I'm training. Right.
03:15But my real goal is to just enjoy the whole journey.
03:17You know, to be there with my teammates and to compete hard,
03:20but also enjoy this process, because, you know,
03:22not a lot of people get to be in the position I am.
03:24And I'm very grateful.
03:25Well, the hope is, you know, one Rio, one Tokyo, might as well keep winning.
03:29So gold in Paris.
03:31Hopefully another gold would be amazing.
03:33That's that's definitely my main goal going in.
03:35But really just kind of taking it all in and appreciating
03:41the amazing gift of the Olympics that I was given.
03:44So my hopes for this year's games are definitely to win a medal,
03:46specifically gold.
03:48I mean, I'll be happy with any kind of medal.
03:50And bringing a medal back to the U.S.
03:52is always the biggest goal for me.
03:53I would really like to take a gold medal.
03:55And if I don't, I can and will cry.
03:58But also we're going to be in Paris.
04:00And despite the fact that I am lactose intolerant,
04:01I will be celebrating my win and slash or medal with butter
04:06and cheese and milk and ice cream and chocolate.
04:09My hope for this year's game is to go out there, have fun,
04:12show the world who I am and hopefully come home with the Olympic gold medal.
04:16My hope is gold.
04:18The goal is gold.
04:19If we do win, this would be a three-peat.
04:21So I'm really proud of how far our team has come
04:24and all that we continue to overcome.
04:26What I'm looking forward to most for this year's games
04:29is the fact that we're going to have fans,
04:32you know, the fact that we're going to have spectators
04:34and we'll be able to be in an arena and feel like the energy
04:37and excitement behind it.
04:38My hopes is that I just get that full Olympic experience.
04:42I hope to watch other sports.
04:44I'd love to watch sport climbing.
04:46The thing I'll be looking forward to the most
04:49would be the closing ceremony with the gold medal around our necks.