Netherlands v China: Paris Olympic Hockey women’s final set for subplots

Paris — “We have everything to win at the Olympic Games. We have nothing to lose. Teams are watching us now. They’re thinking ‘Okay, China’s very good now’.” 

So said China coach Alyson Annan three months out from the Olympics. Her side now stand on the cusp of one of the great shocks in world sport should they topple the Netherlands in Friday’s final – a delicious subplot in the offing with Annan lining up against the side she coached to Tokyo gold.