MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia midfielder Katrina Gorry has declared herself fit for the Paris Games after recovering from a troublesome ankle injury.
Gorry’s availability is a boost for the World Cup semi-finalists, who are bidding for a first Olympic medal but head into the Games a bit light on leadership without injured regular captain and striker, Sam Kerr.
The 31-year-old Gorry, capped 107 times, underwent ankle surgery in April and missed recent friendlies against China but will look to improve her selection prospects in another warmup against Olympic champions Canada in Marbella, Spain on Saturday.
“I knew I could trust my body to get myself back here,” Gorry told reporters.
“I’m feeling good, ankle’s feeling really well, so I’m happy to be back in camp.”
Gorry was part of the Australia team that reached the quarter-finals at the 2016 Rio Games but missed their run to the semi-finals at Tokyo three years ago while pregnant with her first child, Harper.
Gorry will juggle family duties at her second Games, with her partner Clara Markstedt, a Swedish footballer, having recently given birth to their first child together.
“The national team have been really supportive of everything so Clara and the kids are here. Mum will meet us over in France just to help out a little bit more,” said Gorry.
Australia face Rio gold medallists Germany, four-times Olympic champions the United States, and Zambia in Group B at the Games.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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