Now it’s a question of who’ll come to play when it’s all on the line.
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Helen and Kate Richardson-Walsh married in 2013 and, when asked what it meant to win Olympic gold alongside her wife, 34-year-old Helen said: ‘It’s pretty special.
“We’re not out there shouting it, it’s just part and parcel of who we are”, Kate said. Some went even further than that.
“Some days you know you’re going to win”, said head coach Kerry.
“But we definitely backed ourselves going into the shootout”. We have some tough competitors and probably the best goalie in the world in shoot-outs. “As soon as it went there I knew”.
England were 2-0 down at the end of the third quarter in the European Championship final past year against Holland and responded to draw 2-2 and win on penalty flicks. “We started very low, at eighth in Sydney and from that moment we just wanted to win an Olympic medal”, she said.
Maartje Paumen, bidding for her third gold, put her side in front with a penalty corner.
She insisted her side had been the better of the two.
However, Team GB suffered a couple of injuries in its match with New Zealand.
Once you get to that stage, conventional wisdom would have you believe that a shootout is a lottery – but don’t believe a word of that says Hinch.
With a trusty red notebook full of pointers on every worldwide opponent she has ever faced, and a water bottle with yet more notes scribbled upon it – Hinch could not be better prepared. It’s the first time we’ve been to the final, so for us we’re over the moon. “I am just glad I made the nation proud”.
“Over the years – I am constantly keeping my database up to date”.
“I think we played a fantastic game”. I just give myself a game plan for each player and I go out and execute that.
The game finished 3-3 at full-time, with Hinch producing a string of eye-catching saves to ensure that the Netherlands, the defending Olympic champions, did not run away with the contest.
But what a flawless way for the married couple that form the backbone of this side to sign off their worldwide careers – although Helen has yet to officially confirm hers.
Great Britain won their first-ever Olympic women’s hockey gold medal after beating defending champions The Netherlands in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the Olympic Hockey Centre in Rio de Janeiro. “To win an Olympic medal with your wife there next to you, taking a penalty in the pressure moments is so special, and we will cherish this for the rest of our lives”.
Defying the odds, skipper Kate, 36, retired in 2014 but chose to make a comeback for Rio, whilst Helen is competing despite two lots of back surgery in 12 months. We created a lot of chances and to end with silver, it’s not what we came for.
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They most certainly have.
