'We have a different standard for women' – Megan Rapinoe excited for USWNT in Olympics, says bar is set high

Megan Rapinoe says the “expectation is perfection” when it comes to elite women’s sport, with the USWNT set to play in the Paris Games

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World Cup winner retired in 2023Now watching on from afarAware of lofty expectationsWHAT HAPPENED?

The legendary two-time World Cup winner stepped out of the international spotlight on the back of a failed bid for another global crown in 2023. Rapinoe is, at 39 years of age, now retired completely and focused on matters away from the field.

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She is, however, keeping a close eye on how the United States’ class of 2024 are getting on – with former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes now calling the shots there. A star-studded squad is readying itself for a gold medal bid at the Olympic Games in Paris.

WHAT RAPINOE SAID

The U.S. will be one of the favourites heading into that competition, despite slipping to fifth in the world rankings, and Rapinoe – who won 203 caps for her country – has told of the pressure that Hayes’ side will be under: “I think any woman who’s elite in her profession will get torn apart by critics. We have a different standard for women. The expectation is perfection.”

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Rapinoe went on to say of facing those challenges head on, with success of the past setting a high bar for the USWNT: “You don’t always succeed, but that’s what we love about sports. And looking forward to the Olympics, everyone is excited, there’s a new team and there is an opportunity of this new group of players to make their mark.”