Wyles: So tough but I’m living my Olympic dream
RORY McIlroy may not see it as his job to sell golf to the world but Team USA’s Chris Wyles is proud to be an ambassador for rugby at the Olympics.
Wyles recognises that winning a medal in Rio would do more for the sport Stateside than anything that has come before.
“As a squad we completely understand that we have to take responsibility in that sense, we want to make sure we showcase rugby in the best possible light for the American public, ”Wyles told The Rugby Paper.
“There are huge leagues like the NFL and the NBA but there is something special about the buzz and the energy that goes around the Olympics – it’s the pinnacle of sport in America and people will switch on to watch every minute that they can.
“We fully understand what an impact it would have if we were to get a medal. Rugby will be played in front of an audience that it wouldn’t ordinarily have in the States; it is going to be massive.”
Capped 54 times in 15s, Wyles was named in the Eagles’ squad despite missing the whole of last season’s World Series due to his Saracens commitments.
Aside from captaining the side to glory in last summer’s Olympic qualifiers, the 32-year-old’s last big tournament experience in the shortened format was at the Sevens World Cup in 2009, the year that rugby’s return to Olympics was sanctioned.
“The magic of the Olympics has always been there for me, after watching guys like Michael Johnson run the 400m, and I’m still kind of pinching myself that I am going to be involved.
“Realistically I knew it was going to be very tough for me to get in because of my age and the level of training and conditioning required, and the last month in San Diego was one of the hardest, if not the hardest, camps I’ve ever been at, in terms of what I had to put in physically. I lost around four to five kilos.
“Also, I was aware of how tight the boys are and how well they’ve done over the last two years to get to where they are now. But my goal was to just put my best foot forward and fortunately Mike Friday felt I could contribute.
“To be announced a member of the Olympics team is an incredible feeling because this has been on my radar ever since it was known rugby would be included. I love playing sevens.”
With World Series 2015-16 Dream Team member Perry Baker and fellow crossover athlete Carlin Isles, “the fastest man in rugby”, joined by Super Bowl winner, Nate Ebner, American fans are spoilt for choice when it comes to box-office stars.
“Perry and Carlin are the very definition of X-factor I would argue,” Wyles said. “Both have come to rugby relatively late and are thriving. I think there are a lot of guys in the States like that. If we can play to our ability I think we can inspire a lot of other people to take up the sport.”
For Wyles the Olympics caps what has already been a “surreal” year. He and his wife Amy after expecting their first child in just over a week’s time, 12 months on from getting married, and the Saracens utility back is chasing an unprecedented treble of English Premiership, European Champions’ Cup and Olympic winner’s medals.
“Amy has been so supportive; I couldn’t have done it without her,” he said.
“Also, I have to give lots of credit to Saracens. They are very accepting of people going off and doing different things.”