Matthieu Pavon and Victor Perez will be a kind of ‘hosts’ at the golf test of the Paris Olympic Games. The French pair will defend the colours of the Gallic team at Le Golf National and are preparing conscientiously for an unforgettable event in their respective professional careers, both for the fact of being Olympic athletes and for the possibility of fighting for medals in front of their country’s fans.
“It’s a great feeling, an incredible opportunity for us. Normally we represent ourselves, but now it’s something bigger. It’s good to have been able to spend a few days in the Olympic Village, feel the atmosphere, be able to talk to other athletes and enjoy being part of that big family. Now we are ready to start the tournament”, confessed Pavon to the media in the preview.
“I think Matthieu has described it very well. It’s a great opportunity for us being French and competing in our first Olympic Games at home, in Paris. The three days in the Village were exceptional, meeting other athletes, and now we are ready to start here, at Le Golf National“, explained Perez.
Pavon even dared to make a comparison: “I always had the feeling that the majors were the most important thing in golf because we didn’t grow up with this sport in the Olympic Games. It came back in 2016 in Rio and at first it was a different feeling. Now, after being in the Village, from the Opening Ceremony with all that crowd at the Eiffel Tower, with all these great moments… I feel that a gold medal would be even more important than winning a major for me”.
“As Matt says, we didn’t grow up like athletics or fencing people dreaming of an Olympic gold medal. It wasn’t on the radar when we were kids. But I was surprised by the amount of people who came to the Ceremony even though it was pouring rain, how they encouraged us from the balconies overlooking the Seine in Paris… Without a doubt, it meant a lot and enhanced even more the feeling and the desire to get the gold”, said Perez.
For Pavon, this Olympic dream began to take shape at the beginning of the year: “It was one of the goals for 2024, but it actually started in January. When we started to add some points it wasn’t something that was very present in my head, I felt that I had to take other steps before qualifying for the Games, like qualifying for the PGA Tour, winning some tournament like I did with the Torrey… and suddenly you have almost guaranteed to be in the team. Then you really realise that the dream came true and that you had to prepare”.
As for the possible added pressure of playing in his country, Perez sees it as an advantage: “We put the pressure on ourselves. There are high expectations being in Paris, on a course we have played many times in the French Open. But I see it like this: would you rather play at home or away? At home. Would you rather have the crowd with you or against you? With you, obviously. It’s a matter of perspective, you have to see the glass half full. There is pressure, but there will be next week and the following for other reasons”.
