Abby Wambach aiming to chase gold again in Rio

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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Abby Wambach isn't stopping with a Women's World Cup championship.

The American star told WHAM in her native Rochester, New York, on Thursday that she's planning to compete for Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next summer.

"I haven't decided what I'm going to do, but I'm planning on playing in Rio next summer," Wambach said. "I gotta let my body recover, because that's the thing about artificial surface (which was used in Canada). Seven games is a lot of games. ... My body took some hits and I'm trying to recover."

The 35-year-old Wambach, the all-time leading scorer in international play (men and women), raised the Women's World Cup trophy for the first time earlier this month. She helped the U.S. beat Japan in the finale, entering as a substitute in her 25th and final Women's World Cup match. It was the U.S.' first Women's World Cup title since 1999.

Wambach has captured two gold medals at the Olympics, in 2004 and '12. She missed the 2008 Games after breaking her leg prior to the tournament.