Aditi Ashok secured a Tied-29th place finish, squeezing into the Top-30 at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Although she missed the podium once again, Aditi expressed that her Olympic aspirations remain intact. The 26-year-old star from Bengaluru, competing in her third Olympics, carded a 4-under 68 with seven birdies and three bogeys. She expressed her intent to return for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
India’s other competitor, Diksha Dagar, had a challenging week following her mother’s back injury and hospitalization from a car accident in Paris a week before the Games. She posted scores of 80-78 over the weekend, finishing T-49. Dagar remains hopeful about her comeback in the AIG Women’s Open and aims for the 2028 Olympics.
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Overall, it was a disappointing conclusion for the two Indian players, who were positioned in the Top-15 after the first day.
Lydia Ko, however, achieved a significant milestone by completing her Olympic medal collection with a gold. Ko previously won silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo. Esther Henseleit of Germany shot a final-round 66 with back-to-back birdies to claim the silver, while Xiyu Lin of China birdied the last hole for a 69 to secure the bronze.
Aditi, who began her professional career with a victory at the Hero Women’s Indian Open at 16, remarked, “I think today was probably the best day for me. I feel like I was hitting approach shots and I was holing putts, both were working, so I think that is where the seven birdies came from. Also, conditions were a little better today. Not as windy. So it was easier to manage today than yesterday.”
At 26, she believes she has more opportunities ahead and plans to return for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. For Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, and Morgane Metraux, the day was disappointing. All were in contention early but fell back due to double bogeys or worse.
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