Rhubarb 2024

The Olympic Village is an amazing place. Seeing sporting stars from all sports strolling around, sitting next to you in the dining room is pretty surreal.The endless options of food choices and baristas making free coffee is a lifestyle you can get used to very quickly and part of the reason why the Olympics is so unique and special for an athlete. The tournament kicked off with a match against Spain, a young and dynamic team in strong form. We started off slowly and were fortunate not to be down 1-0 within the first five minutes, with nerves palpable around the Yves-Du-Manoir Stadium. Ultimately, we secured a 4-1 victory and I was proud to contribute with a goal. Next, we faced South Africa in a dramatic match filled with goals and a few scuffles. A last-minute equaliser saved our blushes and an upset, resulting in a 2-2 draw and I was pleased to find the net once again. Our game against the hosts was exhilarating, with a packed crowd showing a slight

INTERVIEW

The emotions of losing in consecutive Olympic quarter-finals are difficult to put into words.The pride I felt is overshadowed by a profound sense of disappointment and missed opportunity. Four years of hard work vanished in an instant, such is the beauty of sport, and it’s a deeply humbling experience. Regardless of the outcome, a few beers and tears were shared with family and friends in the French capital, one of my fondest memories from the Games. About 60 family members from the squad gathered in a small Parisian square, enjoying drinks and celebrating the journey of an Olympic experience, something that was impossible during the Covid-affected Games in Tokyo. The closing ceremony was a moment of celebration of the amazing event Paris put on for the world.Walking out to a packed Stade Français as part of Team GB was a truly special moment. As I reflect on my hockey achievements, including my experiences in Paris and Tokyo, they certainly don’t overshadow the joy I found playing school hockey at Teddies. Some of my fondest memories were made in school colours, from our unbeaten season in 2010 to the thrilling house matches for Kendall. I truly hope the strong hockey tradition at Teddies continues!

bias towards the home team. However, another win placed us joint top of the table, setting the stage for a showdown with the Netherlands, the current world champions.

Arguably the toughest game of my hockey career, the heat wave in Paris pushed the pitch-side temperature to a scorching 42 degrees. Both teams played

very attacking hockey at a relentless pace. We managed to come back from 2-0 down, scoring two late goals to draw 2-2, which secured our spot in the quarter-finals against India, a re-run of our quarter-final in Tokyo. An Olympic quarter-final, a day I’ve replayed countless times in my head, unfortunately not for the right reasons.We started the match positively, applying significant pressure on the Indian defence and forcing their goalkeeper into some critical saves.The game shifted with a red card for India, which changed the entire dynamic. India dropped deep, forming an impenetrable defensive wall.The final score was 1-1, leading us to penalty shuffles, where we ultimately came out on the losing side.

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