Paris 2024 Olympics: Netherlands secures Olympic hockey double with women’s gold after shootout

The Netherlands completed a remarkable double in Olympic hockey on Friday when its women’s team, the defending champions, beat China 3-1 in a shootout to take gold just 24 hours after the men’s side had triumphed over Germany.

The Dutch women, who were appearing in their sixth successive final, were made to work hard for their fifth Olympic gold medal after the Chinese held them to a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Chen Yi put the Chinese ahead after just six minutes and in spite of intense Dutch pressure throughout they appeared to be heading for their first Olympic gold.

Nine minutes from time, however, ace penalty corner shooter Yibbi Jansen rifled in her ninth goal of the tournament to level the scores.

Dutch goalie Anne Veenendaal saved the first two Chinese efforts in the shoot-out and when she kept out Ma Ning’s attempt as well the celebrations began for the army of Dutch supporters at the Yves du Manoir Stadium in Colombes.

It is the first time ever that a nation has doubled up at the Olympic hockey – the men’s team also needing a shootout to get past Germany.

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It marked China’s second silver medal, following their success at home in Beijing in 2008.

The Dutch went into the game with the wind in their sails having won all of their pool matches, including a 3-0 victory over the Chinese, before seeing off Great Britain in the quarter-finals and Argentina in the semis.

The defending champions looked odds-on favourites to take that form all the way to the podium.

But it was the Chinese who opened the scoring in the seventh minute with their only significant attack of the first half, Chen poking the ball beyond Veenendaal to silence the crowd which, as has become usual with Netherlands games, was predominantly clad in orange.

Dutch frustration

The Asian champions have blossomed under the guidance of Australian coach Alyson Annan who led the Dutch to Olympic success in Tokyo before leaving in controversial circumstances in 2022.

But they only had three shots on goal during the entire match, defending bravely as the Dutch came at them.

Captain Xan de Waard’s shot was blocked by Ye Jiao in the Chinese goal and Marijn Veen had a shot cleared off the line.

Frederique Matla then rattled the upright with a fierce penalty corner before the Dutch had a penalty stroke decision in their favour overturned on review.

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Trailing 1-0 at halftime, the Dutch continued to press at the start of the second half, Veen’s reverse strike kicked away by Ye who then deflected another penalty corner strike from Matla.

The equaliser finally came nine minutes from time when Jansen powered home a penalty corner, her ninth goal of the tournament.

The Dutch continued to press but had to be satisfied with victory in the shootout.

Earlier on Friday, Argentina claimed its third Olympics bronze medal, its sixth medal in women’s hockey, also with a 3-1 shootout win over Belgium after its third-place play-off ended in a 2-2 draw.