Adrian Lock has extended his contract with Spain women until 2024, ruling out any potential moves from GB Hockey as they look for a new women’s head coach.
Englishman Lock first took charge in 2013 with Spain ranked 14th in the FIH standings, since lifting them to 6th following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Spain also finished in third at the most recent World Cup, hosted in London, after beating Australia 3-1 in the bronze medal Match before also taking home bronze at the 2019 EuroHockey Championships, Spain’s first European medal since Silver in 2003.
Spain will co-host next year’s World Cup with the Netherlands, so it is an exciting time for women’s hockey in the country following Lock’s continued success.
Upon renewing, Lock said: “I am very excited to continue with this project. Over the years, we have made many changes to the team. I think that the work of staff and players has created a very narrow group in sports and mainly in the person, which we consider is very important inhigh performance.”
He added: ”I think that we can continue to grow and thus be able to arrive at the best time in Paris 2024. In the short term, the Terrassa 2022 World Cup is very exciting. The difference between the national teams is minimum, so we have been able to see it in Tokyo. For this we want to continue with the consistency of all working groups.
“We consider it essential to achieve the objectives that we set ourselves.”
The President of the Royal Federation of Spanish Hockey, Santiago Deó also said: “With this renewal there is a continuity line that we want to have in the women’s team. A team which Adrian has done great work with and implemented successful methods.
“I have worked with a large group of female players who have brought great success to theSpanish hockey and has returned it to maximum competitiveness in every game orcontested competition.
“Therefore, with the large cast of female players, in addition, that come from the lower categories, we believe that this trajectory can keep going the same way for years to come, having a great first date next July with the Terrassa World Cup.”
