Rose Lavelle has been named to the 18-player US Women's National Team Olympics roster.- She's ready to play in her first games and excited to meet the "amazing female athletes" competing.
- Lavelle told Insider she's "obsessed with
Simone Biles " and "Katie Ledecky ... is crushing it, too."
Rose Lavelle may be a
The 26-year-old star midfielder learned this week that she would be one of 18 players competing for the US Women's National Team at the Tokyo
"I am obsessed with Simone Biles. I think she's so cool," Lavelle told Insider. "What she's doing like in her sport and outside of it, too, is incredible and so inspiring. I'm excited to watch her just run the show at the Olympics."
"That'll be incredible," she added.
Biles is sure to be the standout of next month's games. The 24-year-old is the most decorated athlete - man or woman - in the history of gymnastics. She's widely considered the greatest of all time, or GOAT, in the sport, and she's expected to dominate in Tokyo just as she did in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
But Lavelle didn't stop there. She has her eye on several other superstars across a variety of sports who, like Lavelle herself, will be vying for Olympics glory in a few short weeks.
"Swimming's always so fun," Lavelle said. "And so Katie Ledecky - I'm rooting for her. She's crushing it too. I love tennis. Serena Williams,
While there are countless enthralling storylines on the men's side of the games, women's sports have largely dominated the discourse heading into the Tokyo Olympics.
Between the likes of Biles, Ledecky, Williams, and Osaka as well as five-time Olympians Allyson Felix, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Sue Bird, and Diana Taurasi, most of the big names of this year's games including belong to women.
"There's so many amazing female athletes right now that are at the top of their game and demolishing records and everything," Lavelle said. "I hope that all of the incredible female athletes get all the attention that they deserve during the Olympics."
Surely, Lavelle and her megawatt
And while Lavelle already has a major international tournament under her belt after becoming the bona fide breakout star of the 2019 World Cup, she knows the Olympics carry a different weight.
"I love the Olympics. I've always loved watching it," Lavelle told Insider. "I think it's so inspiring. It gives me the chills listening or watching people on the medal stand listening to their national anthem. Regardless of what country it is, it's always just such a cool moment."
"So to get to be a part of a team that goes there and is obviously looking to win and get a medal, I think that would be such an amazing experience," she added.