Mallory Swanson Gets Honest, Revealing Initial Doubts Over USWNT’s Olympic Gold Under Emma Hayes

It took just 72 days for Emma Hayes to guide the USWNT to their fifth Olympic Gold in Paris. However, amidst the celebration, one player’s journey stood out—not for her confidence, but for her initial doubts. In a recent podcast, Mallory Swanson shared that she hadn’t begun the Olympic year with much faith in the team’s success. She reflected on how the team’s dynamics before and after the Olympics were noticeably different, which likely contributed to her uncertainty. Don’t you agree?

Swanson missed the 2023 World Cup after suffering an injury to her patellar tendon in a friendly against Ireland in April last year. After undergoing three surgeries in the space of nine months, she was back scoring 4 goals for USWNT in the Olympics leading them to gold, and even winning the SheBelieves Cup. While at the club level for Chicago Red Stars after coming from injury she scored 7 goals and four assists in her 25 NWSL games.

For any athlete, an Olympic gold medal is a top dream, but for the 26-year-old USWNT star, it was a journey of faith, perseverance, and relentless hard work. Speaking on Season 3 of the Pure Athlete YouTube podcast, she frankly shared the doubts she faced leading up to their historic win in Paris 2024 under Emma Hayes – “When it actually happened, when we actually won a gold medal at the Olympics because I was like I’m I was like the goal is to do that but I was like who knows if it’s actually going to happen.”

She admitted, reflecting on her mindset just months before the big event. The World Cup miss in 2023 had been a major blow, and injuries had left her sidelined, questioning if she’d ever return to her best – “Three months before the World Cup I wasn’t able to do anything.“ However, despite the uncertainties, she never stopped believing. “So I was like I kind of had that mindset of like if it happens it happens I obviously like worked my ass off to like to have that happen.”

Swanson also talked about the importance of the gold medal and how the team came together like never before “I think that that’s why like that gold medal just like means so much because I think it really is I would say like it’s hard work, perseverance this and that and like as a team too we like really came together but I think for me personally it like really represents the faith that I had in god’s plan and in God.”

Despite her remarkable start to the season, Mallory Swanson has faced a sudden dip in form since the Paris Olympics, struggling to find the back of the net. Yet, Emma Hayes remains unwavering in her admiration for the striker.

USWNT coach calls Mallory Swanson the ultimate team connector – Why?

Emma Hayes talks about Mallory Swanson and her admiration for Mallory “I couldn’t ask for anymore, she’s a player I’ve always admired, so to get the opportunity to coach and see firsthand the quality she possesses – she’s a connector.“ At just 26, Swanson has already achieved incredible milestones, but her journey under Hayes seems to be just beginning.

The 48-year-old explained “She can multitask, she can do what she’s doing on the pitch, and she can listen on the sidelines. I noticed that about her today. Our goal is to keep her fit, keep her healthy, because she’s an important part of this team.” As the USWNT prepares for future challenges, they will next play against Colombo, Australia, and Japan in the SheBelieves Cup group stages starting on 21st February.

So, don’t you think under Emma Hayes’s guidance the 26-year-old will have much more to improve and learn in the coming days?