Olympic Games Paris 2024 How the hockey teams qualified
2024.04.30
The excitement among hockey fans worldwide is growing as the countdown to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris approaches double digits. We are looking at how each team earned a position in the Olympics now that all 12 men’s and women’s teams have qualified and been assigned to their respective pools.
Men’s Pool A
Netherlands: The team has been steadily improving since failing to secure medal positions in the previous Olympic Games, held in Tokyo 2020. They qualified for Paris 2024 by winning the gold medal at the EuroHockey Championships 2023, which gave them a direct ticket to the Olympics without having to compete in the FIH Olympic Hockey Qualifiers.
Germany: After placing fourth in the EuroHockey Championships 2023, the reigning world champions were invited to the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Oman. Having finished fourth in the previous edition, they went into the Qualifiers undefeated, winning the final and taking first place to guarantee their spot in Paris 2024.
Great Britain: Following a narrow 2-1 loss to the Netherlands in the final, Great Britain missed out on direct qualification to the Olympics at the EuroHockey Championships 2023. As a result, they had to go through the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, which they successfully completed by placing second in Oman.
Spain qualified for the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Valencia after placing sixth in the EuroHockey Championships 2023. They overcame tremendous home support to advance to the finals, where they were defeated by Belgium; however, a second-place finish was sufficient to guarantee their spot in the Olympics.
France: As the hosts, France has qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
South Africa: As the continental champions of Africa, South Africa qualified directly for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris by winning the “African Hockey Road to Paris 2024” competition.
Pool B for Men
Belgium: After finishing third at the EuroHockey Championships 2023, the current gold medal winners from Tokyo 2020 had to go through the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Valencia to secure their spot in the Olympics. Belgium guaranteed their place in Paris 2024, where they will try to defend their title, with a perfect performance in Valencia, where they won all five matches, including the championship match against hosts Spain.
India: After capturing the gold medal at the Asia Cup, the bronze medalists from the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 guaranteed their place among the 12 teams in Paris 2024. This earned them automatic qualification as the Asian continental champions for the forthcoming Olympic Games.
Australia: Having lost in a shoot-out in the gold medal match to the closest of margins in the previous Olympics, Australia will return to the competition hoping to place even higher on the podium after winning the Oceania Cup in 2023, which will advance them to Paris 2024 as Oceania’s continental champions.
Argentina: As the direct winners of their respective continents, Argentina will be the third team in men’s pool B to guarantee their spot in Paris 2024, after Australia and India. Argentina qualified for the Olympics by winning gold at the Pan American Games in 2023. They last won gold in Rio in 2016.
New Zealand: Having finished second in the Oceania Cup 2023, New Zealand was only able to secure a spot in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, which will take place in Oman. They secured the final spot to Paris 2024 from the Oman qualifiers with a third-place result and an especially exciting win over Pakistan in the bronze medal match.
Ireland: After winning the EuroHockey Championship II, Ireland advanced to the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Valencia, where, in front of a sizable Irish traveling presence of boisterous supporters, they wrote a storybook run to finish third and earn a spot in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris!
@charith
