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Carli Lloyd: Olympics Are About ‘Continuing to Be the Best Player in the World’

Carli Lloyd
Carli Lloyd

Don’t fix it if it’s not broken! As Carli Lloyd heads into her third Olympics with two gold medals in her pocket, she tells Us Weekly that her “goals remain the same.”

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“I set out on this journey 13 years ago to become the best player in the world and I achieved that last year,” the soccer star says of her World Cup performance. “Now it’s about continuing to be the best player in the world.”

While it’s been a long journey, it wasn’t until recently that the 33-year-old actually felt like she had a chance to be the best. “After the World Cup, I think that was pretty much the moment where I felt like I had a good shot,” says the midfielder, who scored a remarkable three goals in the first 16 minutes of the final game versus Japan.

Related: PHOTOS: Olympic Athletes: Where Are They Now?

As Lloyd continues to prepare for the Summer Games, she is also dealing with an MCL strain (a tear of the ligament on the inside of the knee). “I’m progressing, which is the most important thing,” the Team Visa athlete explains. “Pretty much resting it and letting it heal, doing some pool workouts.”

Carli Lloyd
Carli Lloyd

Her injury, which happened in April, has given her a welcome break.

“I think the timing of this injury couldn’t have come at a better time,” she says. “I’m going to be rejuvenated both mentally and physically. I can’t really remember the last time my body actually had some sort of a break, so it’s going to be actually fun and I think a lot less pressure coming back, because you miss the game so much and you tend to come back stronger and better from injuries. That’s kind of how I’ve been doing and progressing throughout my career and I’m just excited to get over there and get the game started.”

Related: PHOTOS: Olympic Athletes Turned TV and Movie Stars

The rest gives the engaged soccer player time to plan her fall wedding to her boyfriend of 16 years, Brian Hollins.

“I’m getting things done! Things are coming together nicely and once I get back into playing, I’ll have my maid of honor and bridesmaids probably take over a lot from there,” she admits.

To learn more about all the Olympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.org. The Olympics begin on August 5 and will be streamed live on NBCOlympics.com and NBC Sports Live Extra.

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