Mackenzie Arnold is entering her third Olympics. She doesn't have the fondest memories of the last two.

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Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold is gearing up to compete in her third Olympics, but after a rough experience in Tokyo back in 2020, she was about to call it quits.

The 30-year-old gained recognition following her standout performance in last year's Women's World Cup, earning her the nickname "Minister for Defence" for her exceptional goalkeeping skills.

However, her journey hasn't always been straightforward.

Watch: Matildas qualify for Rio. Post continues below.

Despite this being Arnold's third Olympic Games, she has only played one match in the competition, which was back in 2016 in Rio.

In Tokyo, she didn't get the chance to play at all.

Now, she's briefly addressed how she felt about being overlooked in a video shared by the Matildas.

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"What do the Olympics mean to you?" the person behind the camera asked Arnold.

"Nah, I'm not answering that  — you know why. I’m not answering that," she responded.

"When I think of the Olympics, obviously I haven’t really been part of the team directly in the last two Olympics," she continued.

"I think I only played one in Rio and obviously was part of the extended squad in Tokyo.

"When I think about potentially playing in Paris, it brings a lot of emotions up, and excitement’s obviously a big one.

"I think I’m just so proud of myself to have gotten to this stage, because if I think back to three years earlier to when Tokyo was, I was probably nearly ready to quit.

"So, if I fast-forward to now, I’m just really proud to see how far I’ve come, and my mindset and the change in that to get me to this place.

"So yeah, I’m excited."

With Arnold now regarded as one of the world's top goalkeepers, it would be surprising if they sidelined her for these Olympic Games.

The Australian team narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in Tokyo, finishing fourth, but the soccer player is optimistic about their chances of clinching a medal this time around.

"Everything is now pointing to the direction that it’s time to get a medal, and I think the team is better than it’s ever been and I think we’re all in such the right mindset right now that we all believe in each other," Arnold said in the video.

"We believe in our team that it’s our time to get the success that we deserve, and I think this is the tournament to do that."

Watch the Olympics on Stan Sport, the only place to watch every event ad-free with 4K and international multi-language channels. Go to Stan.com.au/Olympics for more info.

Feature Image: Instagram @mackenziearnold.

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