All the latest news as nations unveil their squads for the Paris 2024 Olympic hockey tournament
HGC veteran Seve van Ass, who missed last summer’s EuroHockey Championships, and Amsterdammer Floris Middendorp, a reserve, have been picked for the Netherlands men’s Paris Olympic squad.
Terrance Pieters is the most noticeable absentee from the selection. The Kampong striker, the only player to have played both EuroHockey gold and World Cup bronze tournaments, misses out after a knee injury and only returning to training this week.
“It was a week for me in which I had to make the most difficult decisions of the past three years,” said coach Jeroen Delmée. “Three years ago, as a new staff, we started this journey towards Paris with a young, fresh and eager group. It has been a great journey so far, with the highlight being winning the European title in 2023 for now.”
The Dutch men last won a medal with silver at London 2012.
Michel van den Heuvel left out Cedric Charlier and will travel to Paris as a reserve in the standout news from Olympic champions Belgium men’s squad revealing last week.
William Ghislain, Maxime Van Oost are also reserves Charlier while the strength of the Red Lions was underlined when Tanguy Cosyns didn’t make the cut.
Vincent Vanasch will take up keeper duties, with Van Doren, De Sloover, Boccard, Luypaert and Hendrickx in defence lines .
Dohmen, Denayer, Wegnez, Kina and Van Dessel are in midfield, while up front Van Aubel, De Kerpel, Boon, Onana and Stockbroekx lead the way for the defence of their title.
New Zealand men, with Nic Woods installed as captain, will feature two athletes at their fourth Olympics (Hugo Inglis, Simon Child) and six at their first after revealing their squad this week.
Greg Nicol, the coach, said: “One of our themes is kotahitanga – unity – and the notion that we are all climbing this mountain together and are helping each other become the best versions of ourselves.”
The squad were presented with their playing kit by members of New Zealand’s gold medal hockey team from the Montreal 1976 Games.
USA women will head to their first Olympics since their fifth place in 2016 with a squad of Olympic debutants.
Goalkeeper Kelsey Bing spearheads the United States women’s squad for the Paris Olympics, with Ashley Hoffman and Amanda Golini installed as co-captains.
They are joined by young forwards Phia Gladieux, Ashley Sessa, Abby Tamer, Megan Valzonis and Beth Yeager. The midfield is a family affair featuring sisters Brooke and Emma DeBerdine as well as Meredith Sholder and Maddie Zimmer.
The defence features Leah Crouse, Ally Hammel, Karlie Kisha and Kelee Lepage. Jillian Wolgemuth, a key leader and consistent presence in recent years, will miss the Olympics due to an injury.
Belgium women, who featured for the first time at London 2012 but are now seen as major medal contenders, have also revealed their 16-strong squad for Paris.
Goalkeeper : Elodie Picard
Defence : Emma Puvrez, Vanessa Blockmans, Stephanie Vanden Borre, Lien Hillewaert, Hélène Brasseur
Midfield : Alix Gerniers, Michelle Struijk, Barbara Nelen, Judith Vandermeiren, Camille Belis
Forwards: Charlotte Englebert, Ambre Balleghien, Justine Rasir, Delphine Marien , Emily White~
Reserves : Aisling D’Hooghe, Abigail Raye, Lucie Breyne
