No walk in the park: golf fans get a workout at Rio 2016
It's taking part that counts: golf fans following the action in person stretch their legs to catch every stroke at the Olympic Golf Course
The first Olympic golf competition in over a century was a moment to enjoy for these fans (Photo: Rio 2016/Rafael Cavalieri)
Physical preparation may be essential for any athlete, but in golf, fans also need to be in good condition – all told, those following the action stroke-by-stroke across the Olympic Golf Course's 18 holes will have covered close to eight kilometres.
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It's not just the distance that will stretch fans' legs – the terrain is quite variable, traversing sandy bunkers, ups and downs and paths through dense vegetation. Nevertheless, the intrepid Rio 2016 public turned out in force to be part of Olympic and golfing history on Thursday (11 August).
Unflagging support? Fabio, Flavia, Monica and Mila (Photo: Rio 2016/Rafael Cavalieri)
Golf fan Fabio Vassel brought his family all the way from São Paulo to see the sport return to the Olympic Games after a 112-year absence. And just as every great golfer can rely on his caddy, Fabio could count on his wife Flavia to carry their daughter Mila's pushchair while the little girl travelled in comfort in daddy's arms.
Even with the logistical challenges, it was a great experience: “He is a massive fan of the sport, he often plays and is really excited," said Flavia. “It's also great to see the players so close up. It’s a historic moment, the course is beautiful so it’s worth the effort to be able to follow all the action.”
André, Kouchi and Andrea Yui (Photo: Rio 2016/Rafael Cavalieri)
For those who don’t want to walk too far, the spectator stand is located in front of the 18th hole at the end of the course. Andrea, André and Kouchi Yui walked most of the course together but decided to watch the final hole from the comfort of the stand. “Walking the course was interesting but very tiring. Here we can follow the golfers coming in and just relax,” said Andrea.
Historic shot thrills the Brits
The excitement shown by the home crowd has led to these Games being acclaimed as the most enthusiastically supported ever. Golf is a sport where silence can be golden, however, so Rio 2016 volunteers held up signs reminding fans to be quiet out of respect for the players – but when the ball finally drops in the hole, there's no holding back. This went double for Thursday's most dramatic moment – the first hole-in-one in Olympic history, going to Britain's Justin Rose.
The Millers were thrilled to witness a Rio 2016 hole-in-one (Photo: Rio 2016/Rafael Cavalieri)
For Jack, John, Janet and Laurie Miller, who had travelled from London for the Games, it was an incredible experience. “It was a historic moment," said Jack. "I've watched golf before, but had never seen a hole-in-one in person. I couldn’t stop cheering,” he added.
