GB Women Win Olympic Gold

GB take gold at the Rio Olympics with an historic win over The Netherlands.

Great Britain’s Womens Hockey Team made history a few hours ago by not only starting an Olympic final for the first time but also by winning the game against the current world champions, The Netherlands, to secure gold in Rio 2016. They are the first GB side since 1988 to secure an Olympic title.

As would be expected from an Olympic final, the game was a competitive match with The Netherlands clearly showing their pedigree and narrowing down play in a way that the GB Team hadn’t really seen up to this point in the competition. The Netherlands took the first goal but it was quickly matched by GB. This was then repeated to leave the game at 2-2 at the halfway point. The Netherlands, despite being awarded far more short corners than GB over the course of the game, were denied successive attempts but brought the scoreline to 3-2 for most of the final quarter. A goal from GB with eight minutes to spare brought the game to a 3-3 draw, at which point GB’s amazingly talented goalkeeper Maddie Hinch was called upon for penalties / flicks / shuffles (as they are now). On one of GB’s attempts, the Dutch keeper caused a shuffle to be converted to a flick which was then converted, giving GB the upper hand, and then the only shuffle to make it to the back of the net from both sides saw GB take the top spot.

Lindum Hockey Club has been doing its own bit for supporting Team GB in the run-up to the game. Seeing interest from local media outlets in the build-up to the game, Kirsten Parslow and Matt Ingram were interviewed during Ladies’ Training on Thursday by Lincs FM, Gary Johnson carried out an interview with BBC Radio Lincolnshire on Friday morning and Angus Graham did his very best to scare a reporter from BBC Look North in the afternoon, who had a camera team on-pitch and near-barbecue in the run-up to the Olympic coverage.

With the lights low, the large televisions on and the cheering loud, the atmosphere this evening at the Lindum Sports Association was truly electric. Not only was there obvious support for our former player Georgie Twigg, and Lincolnshire players Crista Cullen (Boston) Hannah Macleod (Boston), and Shona McCallin (Grantham) but for the whole of the GB side.

At the point at which Great Britain Hockey secured gold everyone was on their feet and screaming for joy. The love of the game from everyone present was clear to see.