Dutch women eyeing Olympic hat-trick in hockey event

Rio de  Janeiro: Defending  champions Netherlands, coached by Australian hockey legend Alyson Annan, are looking  ahead to extend their lease  on the title for the  third  straight time  having won the  gold  in  Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Games.   Two years ago they once again proved themselves as the finest team on the planet by winning the Hockey World Cup.   The squad named for Rio contains four FIH Players of the Year – Naomi van As (2009), Maartje Paumen (2011 and 2012), Ellen Hoog (2014) and Lidewij Welten (2015),while brilliant shot-stopper Joyce Sombroek, the FIH Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of  the Year for both 2014 and 2015, is an ever-reliable presence.   They remain the world’s top ranked side and will surely be the team to beat. The team has captured seven world titles, starting in 1974, and rightfully earned the distinction as the most successful team in World Cup history. The Netherlands have been to every Olympic Games since 1984, capturing three gold, one silver and three bronze medals.   While the Netherlands are heavy favourites, challenges do lie ahead for the team. The Dutch fell to England in the 2015 European Championships after a  shootout and will need to be prepared to take on British captain Kate Walsh and her team with a different level of intensity if they hope to capture a third consecutive gold medal.   Alongside the Netherlands, Argentina has been the dominant force in women’s hockey for well over a decade. Las Leonas (The Lionesses) have won six of the last seven Champions Trophy competitions and also claimed the bronze medal at the World Cup in 2014 and silver at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Despite the retirement of iconic attacking midfielder and eight times FIH Player of the Year Luciana Aymar in 2014, there is no question that Argentina remains a true powerhouse of world hockey, a fact proven by their title successes at the World League 2015 and the recent Champions Trophy in London.   Livewire attacker Carla Rebecchi and drag-flicking defender Noel Barrionuevo are both potential match winners amongst the current group, while 2014 FIH Young Player of the Year Florencia Habif and exceptional forward Maria Granatto are rated as two of the most exciting skill exponents in the game.   Australia are hoping the fresh talent of 12 debutants will be the key to securing gold in Rio. With only four returning Olympians, the side will largely rely on Olympic rookies to bring enthusiasm and excitement to the pitch as the team looks to claim top spot on the medal dais.   With over 350 international appearances, Australia’s most capped female hockey player, Madonna Blyth will lead the team in her third Olympic campaign. The Rio Games will be the 30-year-old’s second experience at captaining the side and she feels she has a lot more experience under her belt this time around.   Joining Blyth in her third Games campaign will be Casey Sablowski, who was the youngest player at the Beijing 2008 Games. The pair will be supported by n 2012 Olympians Emily Smith and Jodie Kenny who will line up for their second Olympics.   Under the guidance of Head Coach and former Australian international Mark Hager, New Zealand’s Black Sticks have enjoyed arguably the most successful period in their history. The New Zealand squad contains masses of world level experience. The team just missed out on the medals at London 2012 with a fourth place finish, but their talented squad is certainly capable of a podium finish in Rio.   Five players in the group have represented the Black Sticks over 200 times, with Gemma Flynn, Charlotte Harrison, Stacey Michelsen, Kayla Whitelock (formerly Sharland), and Anita McLaren (formerly Punt) all having achieved the milestone. McLaren and Flynn provide speed and goals, while team captain Whitelock has made a sparkling return to international hockey this year following the birth of her daughter last year.   Following their bronze medal at the London 2012, Great Britain will be aiming even higher and certainly have players capable of mixing it with the very best in the world. The vast majority of the squad represented England at last year’s EuroHockey Championships, where they took the title thanks to the goalkeeping heroics of Maddie Hinch, whose brilliance in the shoot-out helped her team overcome world number one ranked Netherlands.   Playing their fourth Olympics together Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh do not spend much time away from each other. They have been playing hockey together since they were teenagers, in a relationship since 2008 and married for three years.   The top four from each of the two pools will progress to the all-or- nothing quarter finals as each team pushes towards the gold medal match on 19 August.