Paris, France – Day 13: A sensational goalkeeping efficiency from Pirmin Blaak helped the Netherlands males grow to be Olympic champions for the primary time since Sydney 2000, inspiring a dramatic shoot-out victory over Germany in entrance of a sell-out crowd on the Yves-du-Manoir Hockey Stadium.
After a tension-filled thriller between the 2 nice rivals of European hockey completed locked at 1-1, 36-year-old Blaak – the present FIH Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of the Yr – produced three breath-taking saves because the Oranje took a 3-1 win, securing their first males’s Olympic gold medal in 24 years.
The consequence signifies that the Netherlands stay on track for a Dutch double within the Olympic hockey competitors at Paris 2024, with the ladies competing in their very own gold medal match, in opposition to China, on Friday (9 August).
The Yves-du-Manoir Hockey Stadium was a cauldron of noise from begin to end, with each groups being properly represented by their passion-fuelled followers.
There was little between the 2 groups for a lot of the match, with clear-cut scoring possibilities few and much between. Nevertheless, that each one modified one minute right into a chaotic fourth and last quarter, with Netherlands captain Thierry Brinkman – who right this moment joined his father Jacques Brinkman as a Olympic hockey gold medallist – touching residence from shut vary after very good build-up play from Koen Bijen.
World champions Germany would have fallen even additional behind have been it not for a surprising goal-line clearance from Gonzalo Peillat, who confirmed lightning fast reactions to disclaim Bijan’s intelligent chip.
Only one minute after Peillat’s outstanding intervention, Thies Prinz smashed residence the equaliser from a penalty nook, restoring parity with ten minutes of the match remaining.
Whereas Germany arguably had the higher of the ultimate minutes, the shoot-out was all about Blaak. Regardless of each Jonas de Geus and Joep de Mol being beautifully denied by Germany goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg, Blaak seemed virtually untouchable within the one-on-ones, brilliantly saving efforts from Niklas Wellen, Hannes Müller and Thies Prinz.
Though Justus Weigand did ultimately beat him, objectives from Brinkman and Thijs van Dam left the Netherlands, the reigning European champions, needing only one aim to safe a 3rd Olympic title after successful gold at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.
The duty fell on the shoulders of 22-year-old Duco Telgenkamp, with the rising star of Dutch hockey making no mistake with an exquisite backhand end to spark wild celebrations from the Dutchmen on the sector and the 1000’s of Oranje followers within the stadium. It was a heartbreaking second for Germany, a facet that has carried out brilliantly at these Olympic Video games.
“The Olympics is, for me, the one strategy to actually write sports activities historical past”, mentioned Netherlands coach Jeroen Delmee, a key participant within the Oranje groups that gained Olympic gold at Atlanta and Sydney. “That is such an enormous occasion. Preventing in eight video games, each sport, to achieve the ultimate, after which successful the ultimate. It’s not even a medal, however for me it’s the historical past you write as a workforce. And we did it like this. It’s unbelievable.”
When requested what successful the boys’s hockey Olympic gold medal will imply for folks again residence within the Netherlands, Delmee mentioned: “This shall be an infinite increase. We all know we now have an impressive ladies’s workforce that’s successful each match – 12 months in, 12 months out. It’s distinctive (the best way) they carry out, however it was roughly about time that additionally the boys began becoming a member of the ladies once more, and placing Dutch hockey on the map.
“I believe we succeeded. The best way we play, what we’ve been doing the final three years, the entire challenge we’ve been working. Folks begin celebrating once more, they love the best way we play, the vitality we put in there, the trouble. That’s possibly much more essential.”
Earlier within the day, India males fought again from a aim down to beat a monumental problem from Spain, with workforce captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring twice to assist India to their second successive Olympic bronze medal on a scorching afternoon on the Yves-du-Manoir Hockey Stadium.
It was a fairytale ending to the taking part in profession of India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who made quite a few essential blocks in opposition to the Purple Sticks to win an Olympic medal in his last look for his nation.
Sreejesh – a two-time FIH Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of the Yr who collected 336 caps – lower an emotional determine on the finish of the competition as gamers and workers celebrated and honoured a participant who represented India with such distinction over an 18-year worldwide profession.
“I really feel nice”, mentioned India captain Harmanpreet. “We create historical past once more, back-to-back (bronze medals). It’s an enormous day for India and an enormous day for hockey. We have been right here for gold, however sadly, that dream was shattered.”
Commenting on the match, Harmanpreet – whose 10-goal haul noticed him end on the competitors’s highest scorer – was extremely proud about how his workforce carried out right this moment. “Immediately’s sport was excellent. We performed as a workforce. Everybody delivered, particularly our legend Sreejesh. It was his final sport. It’s a memorable sport for him, and an enormous achievement as a workforce. He gave every thing to hockey in India, however now it’s his time. He isn’t going anyplace. He’s right here (pointing to his coronary heart).”
Additional info and statistics concerning the matches may be discovered right here.
Notable figures attending the Olympic hockey at Yves-du-Manoir on Day 12 included Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, and Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries.
On Friday 9 August, the ladies’s gold, silver and bronze medallists will all be determined on the Yves-du-Manoir Hockey Stadium, with Argentina taking part in Belgium within the bronze medal match at 14:00 CEST earlier than the Netherlands and China combat for gold at 20:00. A preview for these matches may be discovered right here.
The hockey competitions on the Olympic Video games Paris 2024 happen from Saturday 27 July to Friday 9 August. Each the boys’s and girls’s competitions characteristic 12 groups, break up into two swimming pools of six forward of quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches. For extra details about the hockey competitions at Paris 2024, go to Olympics.Hockey.
Olympic Video games Paris 2024 – Hockey
8 August 2024 – Day 13Men’s medal matches – Thursday 8 August 2024 (all instances CEST)
14:00: India 2-1 Spain19:00: Germany 1-1 Netherlands (1-3 after shoot-out)
FixturesWomen’s medal matches – Friday 9 August 2024 (all instances CEST)14:00 – Bronze: Argentina vs Belgium20:00 – Gold: Netherlands vs China
Ultimate Standings
Males
Gold: The Netherlands Silver: GermanyBronze: India4: Spain5: Belgium6: Australia7: Nice Britain8: Argentina9: South Africa10: Ireland11: France12: New Zealand
Girls
Gold: Silver:Bronze: 4: 5: Australia 6: Germany 7: Spain 8: Nice Britain 9: USA 10: Japan 11: South Africa 12: France
Pool standings overviewsMen: click on right here. Girls: click on right here.
