Nelly Korda, of the United States, watches her tee shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the women’s golf tournament at the Olympics on Saturday in Kawagoe, Japan. Korda won the gold medal. Andy Wong/Associated Press
KAWAGOE, Japan — Her parents used to call her a lion when Nelly Korda was young because she was relentless in everything she played, from gymnastics to ice skating to golf.
“I’ve always been super determined and super focused on what I want,” Korda said.
Now she is more than she ever imagined: major champion, No. 1 in the world and Olympic gold medalist, all of this happening in the last two months.
What a summer.
“Honestly, it’s crazy,” she said.
Korda gave the Americans a sweep of gold medals in golf on Saturday, breaking away from the pack with three straight birdies around the turn and holding her nerve during a chaotic chase for medals and a one-hour storm delay at the end.
Xander Schauffele won the Olympic men’s competition last Sunday.
Korda tapped in for par and a 2-under 69 for a one-shot victory. Moments later, her 28-year-old sister, Jessica, joined her on the green for a hug and a shimmy. Jessica had finished earlier with a 64 to tie for 15th and looked forward to little sister’s big moment.
“This is just kind of like almost legend status as a golfer, period, male or female,” Jessica said. “It’s tough to win out here and she makes it look easy, but those girls are good. So for her to be doing what she’s doing, it’s insane to me. This is like total GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) status to me. To win three times in a season, be world No. 1, going for gold.
“You guys write for a living. This is exactly what you want to write about.”
Mone Inami of Japan delivered the golf-loving host nation a silver medal, and it was nearly better than that.
Inami, given the honor of the opening tee shot on Wednesday, ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch toward the end, the last one from 8 feet on the 17th hole to tie for the lead.
She had gone over the 18th green in the third round and made bogey, and was tentative with her swing on Saturday. It came up short and plugged in the sand on the slope near the face. The best she could manage was to blast out to 30 feet. She made bogey for a 65.
“I regretted why I did not make a full swing,” she said.
Lydia Ko of New Zealand needed a 35-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead on the 18th. She left it 4 feet short and had to make that for a 65 to finish one behind.
In the playoff for the silver, Ko found a bunker off the tee on the 18th hole, had to lay up and missed a 10-foot par putt.
Ko had to settle for the bronze, after winning the silver in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro. She is the only golfer to win medals in both Olympics since the sport returned after a 112-year absence.
WOMEN’S WATER POLO: Maddie Musselman held her phone out, and the U.S. women’s water polo team gathered for a picture on the top step of the podium.
It was a familiar scene. The dynasty is alive and well.
Musselman scored three times, Ashleigh Johnson made 11 saves and the U.S. won its third consecutive gold medal on Saturday, routing Spain 14-5 in the final at the Tokyo Olympics.
“We’re having fun out there, and I think you could see that today,” Musselman said. “Everyone brought their best when their best was needed.”
Aria Fischer, Kaleigh Gilchrist and Alys Williams had two goals apiece as the U.S. improved to 134-4 since it won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. It broke its own records for most goals and biggest margin in the final.
MEN’S SOCCER: From the World Cup to Olympics, Brazil’s men are champions again in Yokohama 19 years apart.
Malcom scored in the 108th minute in extra time to give Brazil a 2-1 win over Spain on to defend Olympic soccer gold on the scene of its last world title in 2002.
It’s a third straight Olympic soccer medal for Brazil after also collecting bronze in 2012. But Spain’s quest to emulate its 1992 run to gold goes on – despite six members of the starting lineup coming straight from the run to the European Championship.
VOLLEYBALL: France made sure its first Olympic volleyball medal would be gold, beating the Russians 25-23, 25-17, 21-25, 21-25, 15-12 Saturday night in a breakthrough win for a country that had no history of success.
France had qualified for the Olympics four times before this year and made it as far as the quarterfinals only once in 1988.
But after a slow start that began with a 3-0 loss to the United States and a 2-3 record in pool play, the French knocked off Pool A winner Poland in a five-set quarterfinal before sweeping Argentina in the semis and beating the Russians in a dramatic final to earn gold.
In the bronze medal game, Argentina won its second Olympics medal ever in men’s volleyball, rallying to beat Brazil 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13.
MEN’S HANDBALL: France won the Olympic men’s handball gold medal after beating Denmark 25-23 in the final, gaining a measure of revenge for defeat to the Danes in the gold medal game in 2016.
France led by six goals early in the second half before Denmark came back to make it a one-goal game in the final minute. Ludovic Fabregas managed a steal and empty-net goal with six seconds left to secure the win and start the French celebrations.
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