- Historic win for golfer Henseleit in the Olympic silver medal
First, a quick kiss from her fiancé and caddie Reece Phillips, then the medal around her neck. Esther Henseleit surprised everyone by winning silver at the Olympic Games in Paris, becoming the first German golfer to win an Olympic medal.
"I'm extremely satisfied, extremely happy," said the 25-year-old after her remarkable feat. Family and friends had accompanied Henseleit, their T-shirts reading "Team Esthi". Her father Horst admitted to goosebumps at the penultimate hole. Henseleit clearly enjoyed the atmosphere on the course in Guyancourt, south-west of Paris. The crowd repeatedly called her name and essentially carried her to the finish line, she said.
A strong final round was rewarded
Thanks to a strong final round with six strokes under par, the German moved up to a medal position with a total of 280 strokes. Starting the fourth and final round five strokes behind the bronze medal, Henseleit knew she had to do something special to win a medal. And she did just that.
New Zealand's Lydia Ko, who had won silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2021, took gold with 278 strokes. China's Lin Xiyu secured bronze with 281 strokes. Alexandra Försterling from Berlin finished 35th with 292 strokes.
Henseleit wasn't deterred by her starting position and began her round with two birdies. After two more birdies on the sixth and ninth holes, she remained unfazed by a bogey on the 12th and held her own on the challenging 15th. Birdies on the last two holes secured her the silver medal. As always, her nerves of steel proved to be her greatest asset.
Course proven in the Ryder Cup
Golf for women was first played at the Olympics in 1900, then removed from the program, and only reintroduced in 2016. In Rio, South Korea's Park In-bee won gold, while the US's Nelly Korda took the top spot in Tokyo three years later. The 26-year-old world number one is the daughter of former Czech tennis star Petr Korda.
The challenging Albatros course at Golf National, where the 42nd Ryder Cup was held in 2018 under Captain Thomas Bjørn's leadership, saw Europe win decisively against the USA. Now, Henseleit has made history for German golf on the same course. It might take a few days for it to fully sink in, she said, with the gleaming silver medal around her neck.
The victory at the Olympic Games in Paris marked a significant achievement for Esther Henseleit, as she became the first German golfer to win an Olympic medal. Her strong performance in the final round, with six strokes under par, propelled her into a medal position, ultimately securing the silver medal for Germany.
