Golfers Lydia Ko and Ryan Fox have been named in the New Zealand Olympic team with the pair becoming two-time Olympians.
Lydia Ko celebrates silver in Rio Photo: AFP
Both competed at the Rio2016 Olympics with silver medalist Lydia Ko hoping to go one better in Tokyo after finishing behind South Korean Inbee Park.
At the time, Ko was world number one and became New Zealand's youngest ever individual Olympic medalist at 19-years-old.
Recently, Ko has returned to some of her best golf and won her first title since 2018 at the Lotte Championship on the LPGA Tour. She also shot a final round 62 at the ANA Inspiration earlier this year which is being labelled as the best-ever round in a major championship.
She says it's an honor to represent New Zealand at the Olympics again and hopes to take some of the year's good form into Tokyo in a few weeks' time.
"I'm super excited for the Tokyo Olympics," Ko says.
"I'm super stoked to be able to represent New Zealand again. I've always felt very proud to be able to fly the New Zealand flag and to have the opportunity to represent New Zealand on a stage where all the best athletes are competing is a huge honor."
Meanwhile Ryan Fox is relishing the opportunity of flying the New Zealand flag at the Olympic Games again.
Ryan Fox Photo: Photosport
Fox was looking to secure his European Tour card in 2016 and only had only played in one major championship in the lead up to Rio. Five years on, Fox has played on the European Tour every year since and has played in 10 major championships. In 2019 he won his first European Tour event, at the World Super 6 Perth, to become the the first New Zealander to win on the European Tour in 10 years.
Fox says he's looking forward to representing New Zealand again and feels more equipped to compete with the best in the world.
"I grew up in a family where representing New Zealand was the highest honour. Golf doesn't necessarily give you that many chances. I obviously represent New Zealand week in week out on the European Tour, but I feel like I'm playing more for myself.
"At the Olympics you are completely representing New Zealand. It's a great honour and I've only done it a couple of times in my career. Rio 2016, the World Cup of Golf, and the Eisenhower Trophy are probably the only opportunities I felt like I was representing New Zealand.
"It's something I cherish doing and it's cool to be able to do that again this year," he explains.
The men's event gets underway from July 29 to August 1, with the women playing from August 4 to 7. Both events are being played at Kasumigaseki Country Club over four rounds of individual stroke play.
Golf was first played as an Olympic sport at the 1900 Paris games and was next played in Rio 2016.