Olympic Games

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The Olympic Games

If there is no greater desire for an athlete than to run faster, soar higher and perform stronger, then perhaps there's no greater international stage to display these talents than the Olympic Games.

Held every four years under the authority of the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Games bring together athletes to participate in peaceful competition while promoting friendship, solidarity, fair play and the harmonious development of the individual.

The Ancient Olympic Games date back to 776 B.C. with  competitions held every four years in Olympia Greece. However, the Modern Olympic Games resulted from the work of Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France in the late 19th century.

Inspired by this original Olympic ideal of peaceful competition, de Coubertin proposed a plan for reviving Games, and in 1896, the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in Athens, Greece.

Field Hockey at the Olympic Games

Although dating back over 1200 years before the Ancient Olympic Games, the sport of field hockey did not appear on the Olympic programme until the 1908 London Games. Hockey returned to the Games in 1920 and again in 1928, and has been a part of the Olympic programme since that time. India became the first hockey dynasty at the Games when it won 30 consecutive games and six gold medals from 1928 to 1956. The United States men have appeared in six Olympic Games (1932, 1936, 1948, 1956, 1984 and 1996), and won a bronze medal in the three-team, 1932 tournament.

Women's field hockey first appeared at the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980. The The Netherlands women have won the most medals with three, including a gold medal in 1984, while the Australian women own the most gold medals after winning the 1988 and 1996 Olympic tournaments. The United States women qualified for the Games in 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1996, and won the bronze medal in 1984.

Who Qualifies?

The Olympic field consists of 12 men's teams and 12 women's teams (The women's field was expanded from 10 teams to 12 teams in 2005 for the 2008 Olympic Games). In 1998, former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch announced a commitment to the sport by stating hockey will always have a place in the Olympic Games.

To join the host nation in the tournament, field hockey teams qualify for the Games through continental championships and qualifying tournaments. The Pan American Games serve as the continental championships for teams in the Americas and Caribbean.

 

2008 Olympic Qualifiers