With the start of the Hockey competition at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 less than 24 hours away, we take a look at some of the fascinating player and team statistics going into the XXXII Olympiad. 

Women’s competition 

  • Netherlands aces Lidewij Welten and Eva de Goede are in search of a third Olympic gold medal in hockey, something only Australia’s Rechelle Hawkes has achieved.
  • De Goede (G2-S1-B0) and Welten (G2-S1-B0) can also claim a fourth Olympic medal in hockey. The only female hockey player who has achieved that is Luciana Aymar (ARG), who claimed two silver medals and two bronze medals.
  • Australia and the Netherlands are both making a record-extending 10th participation in women's hockey at the Olympic Games. Both have won the tournament three times - Australia in 1988, 1996 and 2000 and Netherlands in 1984, 2008 and 2012. No other nation has won more than once.
  • When the host has taken part in the women's Olympic hockey tournament they have claimed a medal in seven of the eight Games, the exception was USA at the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996 (5th). Japan's best result in the women's Olympic hockey tournament is an eighth place at the Olympic Games Athens 2004.
  • Netherlands coach Alyson Annan (AUS) and Australia coach Katrina Powell will be looking to become the first woman to win Olympic gold as player and as a head coach. As players, they were teammates when Australia won gold in 1996 and 2000.

Men’s competition 

  • Germany’s Tobias Hauke, who won gold medals in 2008 and 2012, could become the eighth man – and the first not representing India – to claim a third Olympic gold in men's hockey.
  • Spain’s David Alegre will take part in a fifth Olympic Games, which equals the record of Teun de Nooijer (NED) and Pol Amat (ESP).
  • World champions Belgium can become the fourth World Cup holders to win Olympic gold, after Pakistan in 1984, Netherlands in 2000 and Germany in 2008.
  • Belgium could win a second gold medal in a team sport in the Olympic Games, after the men's football triumph on home soil at the Olympic Games Antwerp 1920.
  • The oldest man to win an Olympic gold medal in men's hockey is Stanley Shoveller (GBR), who won his second gold medal at age 39 in 1920. Argentina goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi, the goalkeeper for Olympic champions Argentina, will be 42 years old at Tokyo 2020.

General

  • India’s 24-1 win against USA in men's hockey at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1932 is the highest-scoring hockey match.
  • Two Olympic gold medal matches have been decided by penalty strokes or shootout. In the men's tournament in 2000, when Netherlands beat Republic of Korea (3-3 after extra-time, 5-4 penalty strokes), and in the women's tournament in 2016, when Great Britain defeated Netherlands (3-3 after extra-time, 2-0 penalty shoot-out).

Statistics provided by Gracenote Sports

The opening day of action at the Oi Hockey Stadium will feature six men’s and two women’s matches, with the hosts Japan men facing Australia, the world number one ranked team, getting proceedings underway at 09:30 JST (UTC +9) in Pool A. The day will also feature potentially thrilling contests between the Netherlands and Belgium (Men’s Pool B), New Zealand and India (Men’s Pool A), Argentina and Spain (Men’s Pool A), Great Britain and South Africa (Men’s Pool B) as well as Canada versus Germany (Men’s Pool B). In the women’s competition, reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions the Netherlands begin their campaign against India (Women’s Pool A), while Olympic debutants and 2018 World Cup silver medallists Ireland take on African continental champions South Africa (Women’s Pool A). 

The hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will take place from Saturday 24 July to Friday 6 August 2021. Both the men’s and women’s competitions feature 12 teams, split into two pools of six ahead of quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches. For more information about the hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, visit https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/hockey/olympic-schedule-and-results.htm.

Make sure that you use #Tokyo2020, #Hockey, #StrongerTogether, #HockeyInvites @Tokyo2020 and @olympics on social media when showing your support for your nation. Be sure to follow FIH for all the latest updates as teams and fans get ready for the biggest show on earth – the Olympic Games.

#Tokyo2020
#StrongerTogether 
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