HOC: Dutch women shatter China's golden dream

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2008
HOC: Dutch women shatter China's golden dream

By Kuldip Lal

BEIJING, Aug 22 AFP - The Netherlands won back the Olympic women's hockey gold medal
after 24 years with a 2-0 win over hosts China in an absorbing final tonight.

Naomi van As and Maartje Goderie scored in the space of 13 minutes in the second half
to end China's dream of becoming the first Asian women's side to win the Olympic title.

The Dutch world number one team, who were forced to settle for silver by Germany in
Athens four years ago, won their first gold since the Los Angeles Games in 1984.

They are the most medalled women's team in Olympic hockey history with two golds, a
silver and three bronze medals.

China, the reigning Asian Games champions, improved upon their fourth place finish
at Athens to win their first Olympic medal and continue a remarkable rise since their
international debut in 1990.

Argentina, meanwhile, retained the bronze medal with a 3-1 win over defending champions
Germany in the play-off between the losing semi-finalists.

A sell-out crowd of 12,000 at the Olympic Green Hockey stadium that included a fair
share of boisterous Dutch supporters, saw the Netherlands take charge in the second half.

Van As deflected in a rebound off a penalty corner in the 50th minute to give the Dutch
their 100th Olympic goal since the women's competition started at Moscow in 1980.

Goderie then assured her team the gold with a stunning reverse hit from the top of
the circle in the 63rd minute which crashed into the net.

The Dutch ended the 12-nation competition by winning all their seven matches, even
though the competition's leading scorer Maartje Paumen failed to add to her tally of 11
goals.

Both teams emerged unscathed after the first half in which Chinese goalkeeper Zhang
Yimeng saved three penalty corner hits by Paumen.

The hosts launched lightening counter-attacks, but Tang Chunling twice shot into the
Dutch goalkeeper, while Fu Baorong's reverse hit went wide off the posts.

Meanwhile, Argentina kept the bronze they won at Athens with a convincing win over Germany.

The South Americans, cheered on by football superstar Diego Maradona in the stands,
took a 2-0 lead by the 22nd minute and added a third goal after the break.

Rosario Luchetti scored the opener in the 11th minute and Carla Rebecchi increased
the tally, before Anke Kuehn pulled one back for Germany 12 minutes into the second half.

The German girls attacked for the equaliser, but it was Argentina who got their third
goal seven minutes before the final whistle when Noel Barrionuevo slammed in a penalty
corner.

Germany, who won their maiden Olympic title in Athens, were relegated to fourth place
after being stunned by China in the semi-finals.

Argentina, who were strong contenders for the title after winning the Champions Trophy
ahead of the Olympics, had lost 2-5 to the Dutch in the semi-finals.

AFP nh

KEYWORD: OLY08 HOCW NIGHTLEAD

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