ALBANE VALENZUELA
AGE 26, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
country. The emotions you experience are second to none.” Paris will be extra special: It’s her mother’s hometown, and Valenzuela counts it as her “second home” and favourite city in the world. “It’s the only event where we’re standing on a podium,” says Valenzuela, who speaks French, Spanish and German along with English. “If you finish second or third in any other event, does it mean that much? Maybe not because you ‘lost’ something. At the Olympics, it has a different meaning, having a medal.”
There, she befriended fellow incoming Stanford freshman Katie Ledecky (who won four golds and a silver swimming in Rio) and tied for 21st. Now Valenzuela is preparing to represent Switzerland for her third Games. Even after all her amateur and college accolades and coming off her best season as a pro, Valenzuela doesn’t hesitate when asked where the Olympics rank. “It tops every golf experience I’ve ever had in my life,” Valenzuela says. “I don’t think there’s anything bigger than representing your country and seeing the best athletes in their fields from every single
If the Olympics represents high achievement amid a mix of global cultures, Albane Valenzuela might be the Olympic ideal. Born in New York City to a Mexican father and French mother, Valenzuela grew up in Mexico City before moving to Geneva at age 6. An elite junior player, she was preparing to go to Stanford for her freshman year when she was low amateur at the ANA Inspiration (now Chevron Championship). That catapulted her into the word ranking and secured her a spot as one of only three amateurs in the field at the 2016 Games in Brazil.
‘IF YOU FINISH SECOND OR THIRD IN ANY OTHER EVENT, DOES IT MEAN THAT MUCH?’
68 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JULY/AUGUST 2024
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