Dutch women simply too good

Results - Women
Friday 22 August 08:30 11-12 RSA:NZL 4:1 (2:1)
11:00 5-6 AUS : GBR 2:0 (1:0)
18:00 3-4 GER : ARG 1:3 (0:2)
20:30 Final CHN : NED 0:2 (0:0)

A few facts from FIH: Hosts China will play their first ever Olympic Hockey final and will collect their first ever medal in Olympic Hockey. Netherlands are only the second team to reach back-to-back Olympic finals. Before 2008, that feat had only been achieved by Australia, the 1996-2000 Hockeyroos. At Athens 2004, the Dutch went down 2-1 against Germany. The Netherlands will collect a record sixth Olympic medal. So far they have won one gold (1984), one silver (2004) and three bronze (1988, 1996 and 2000).

The Netherlands 2 (Naomi van As 50, Maartje Goderie 63) China 0 H-t: 0-0; Bronze medal play-off: Argentina 3 (Rosario Luchetti 11, Carla Rebecchi 22, Noel Barrionuevo 63) Germany 1 (Anke Kuehn 47) H-t: 2-0.
Classification matches: For 5-6 positions Australia 2 Britain 0 H-t: 1-0; For 11-12 positions: South Africa 4 New Zealand 1 H-t: 2-1.
Final women’s rankings: 1 The Netherlands 2 China 3 Argentina 4 Germany 5 Australia 6 Britain 7 Spain 8 United States 9 South Korea 10 Japan 11 South Africa 12 New Zealand

Germany and Spain bank on mascots

BEIJING, Aug 22, 2008 (AFP) - World Cup champions Germany and Spain go into Saturday’s Olympic men’s field hockey final hoping the coaches put their previous gold medal experience to good use.
Spain’s Dutch coach Maurits Hendriks was with the Netherlands when they won the title at the 2000 Sydney Games, while German Markus Weise masterminded the women’s team triumph in Athens four years ago.
Their wisdom will count as Germany contest their first final since winning the gold medal at Barcelona in 1992 and Spain bid for their first Olympic title after losing the deciders in 1980 and 1996.
“It will be about strategy and how we put that into practice,” said Spanish veteran Pol Amat. “I hope Maurits bring us luck. After all, he knows what it takes to win a gold.” Hendriks, however, stressed the final was not about coaches, but the players.
“This is for the boys, I am just going to sit and watch,” the flamboyant coach said. “The team has done a lot themselves to get this far. They are just a delight to watch.” Spain, widely regarded as the best men’s team not to have won the Olympic gold, will be wary of the Germans who beat them 1-0 in the preliminary league.
“We played badly that day and did not deserve to win,” said Hendricks.
"Germany will be tough, but this is a new day, a new game. We will go in as equals.” Weise, who took over the German men three years ago after head coach Bernhard Peters switched to football, remained wary of Spain despite his team’s unbeaten record in the competition.
“All the good work of the past will be of no use if we do not deliver when it counts the most,” Weise said. “But the team is confident of finishing the job.” Germany, who conceded the world number one ranking to Australia after failing to win the Champions Trophy in June, have won four of their six matches so far and drawn the other two.
The European rivals made it to the gold medal clash by reversing the semi-final results at Athens four years ago when Spain lost to Australia and Germany were beaten by the Dutch.
On Thursday, Spain fought back after being two goals down to upset defending champions Australia 3-2 in a thrilling semi-final, ace striker Santi Freixa scoring the winner two minutes before the final whistle.
Germany beat the Netherlands 4-3 in the penalty shoot-out after the European heavyweights were locked 1-1 at the end of extra-time.
“We have worked hard for three years to achieve this result and now we are close to realising our dream,” said Spain’s Amat. “There is a lot to play for in the final.” Meanwhile, Australia will clash with the Netherlands for the bronze medal earlier on Saturday.
“We need to re-visit our strengths and remind the players of those strengths that made us number one,” said Aussie coach Barry Dancer, who is due to leave the Kookaburras after the Olympics.

Men's semi-finals action

PICTURES BY FIH

Taeke Taekema blows it for Dutch!, Spain beat mighty Australia!

Men’s S-finals — Netherlands 1 Germany 1 (Germany win 4-3 on penalties); Spain 3 Australia2.
Classifications —Ninth-10th — Belgium 3 Canada 0, Seventh-Eighth: New Zealand 4 Pakistan 2.
BEIJING, Aug 21, 2008 (AFP) - Germany rode on a rare error by Dutch sharpshooter Taeke Taekema in the penalty shoot-out on Thursday to enter the Olympic men’s hockey final for the first time in 16 years.
The Germans beat the Netherlands 4-3 in the shoot-out after the European heavyweights were locked 1-1 at the end of extra-time in a tense semi-final at the Olympic Green Hockey stadium.
The shoot-out itself went into sudden death as both teams drew 3-3 after the first 10 strokes.
As Christopher Zeller made it 4-3 for Germany, Taekema, the tournament’s leading scorer with 10 goals, scooped straight and high to allow goalkeeper Max Weinhold to palm the ball over the goal post.
The Germans avenged their defeat against the Dutch in the Athens Games semi-final four years ago to make their first Olympic final since winning the gold medal at Barcelona in 1992.
In Saturday’s title clash, Germany will face the winner of Thursday’s other semi-final between defending champions Australia and Spain.
Germany should have sealed the match in the first session of extra-time when a high ball rebounded off the Dutch goalkeeper, but Philip Witte failed to connect in front of an open goal.
The rivals ended level in regulation time after a scrappy encounter sparked to life in the last four minutes.
Timme Hoyng put the Dutch ahead in the 66th minute when he diverted a penalty corner pass from Taekema into the goal.
Germany, who wasted their first penalty corner soon after, drew level two minutes before the final whistle when Philipp Zeller dived to deflect in Moritz Fuerste’s free hit.
Both sides shared the early exchanges, repeatedly raiding the rival goal, but could not convert the half chances that came their way.
Dutch veteran Teun de Nooijer and Germamn striker Florian Keller failed to give their sides the lead just before half-time when they broke through the rival defences but shot wide.
Christopher Keller wasted a similar opportunity early in the second session, his shot from the right just missing the Dutch goal.
The Netherlands earned the first penalty corner of the match in the 53rd minute, but Taekema’s high flick was warded off by the German defenders.

Singing in the Rain...

Misty May-Treanor (L) spikes.

(BEIJING, August 21) -- Today the American duo of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor proved that they are the best-ever team in the history of the fledgling Olympic sport. By beating China's Wang Jie and Tian Jia in the final of the Women's Beach Volleyball competition, Walsh and May-Treanor won their second gold medal and remained undefeated in Olympic competition.

(BEIJING, August 21) -- Olga Kaniskina crossed the finish line to win Russia's first gold in Women's 20km Walk at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in 1 hour 26.31 minutes on August 21, breaking the previous Olympic record of 1 hour 29.05 minutes. "I haven't broken the world record because of the weather. I think my regular training is the most important factor contributing to my victory," said Kaniskina.