14 Aug 2012

Ko set sights on 2016 Olympics

4:16 pm on 14 August 2012

Fresh off her U.S. women's amateur title New Zealand's world number one amateur golfer, Lydia Ko, has set her sights on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Golf, rugby sevens and kitesurfing have been added to the list of sports for the Rio Games.

For golf, each of the men's and women's tournaments will have a field of 60 golfers and players in the Top 15 of the men's and women's world rankings will gain automatic entry.

Outside of the Top 15, players are selected based on world ranking but only if no more than two golfers from a single country are already in the field.

Ko, who yesterday became the first New Zealand woman to win the U.S. Amateur Championship, has her sights fixed on competing in Rio in four years' time.

Ko, who earlier this year became the youngest ever golfer to win a professional tournament, says she hopes her game has improved to a level where she can compete for a place in the New Zealand team and contend for a medal.

While sevens will debut in Rio, fifteen-man rugby had previously been an Olympic sport, but made its final appearance in the 1924 Paris Games.

Golf will be making its first appearance in the Olympic programme in 112 years, while kitesurfing will make its Olympic debut in Rio.