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Paul McNamara

China coach Alyson Annan paid tribute to the country’s “amazing sporting culture” after its women’s hockey team came within a whisker of upsetting the Netherlands in the Olympic final.
Annan’s side led the world’s No 1 team for 45 minutes, following Chen Yi’s sixth-minute strike, but were pegged back by Yibbi Jansen’s pile-driving equaliser. When the match finished 1-1, the Netherlands won a shoot-out 3-1 to claim their fourth Olympic title in five Games.
Afterwards, Annan said she was “extremely proud” of her players and saw potential for them to build on their silver medal in Paris.
“I think China is a force in sport, and has an amazing sporting culture,” she said. “These athletes are incredible, they’re devoted and they work hard.

“Just giving them a bit of confidence makes them great, so I hope that out of this comes something more.”
In charge of the Netherlands when they won gold in Tokyo in 2021, Annan resigned early the following year after a dispute with the Royal Dutch Hockey Association over how to improve team culture.
It has been the Chinese, instead, benefiting from improvements since May 2022, when they appointed Annan, a two-time Olympic gold medallist as a player with her native Australia.
Now ranked world No 6, they beat Australia (No 5) and Belgium (No 3) here, before falling agonisingly short of gold against the Dutch. The final was a repeat of 2008 in Beijing, where the Netherlands won 2-0.
“I hope this is not a one-time thing and we have to wait [16] years to get to another final,” Annan said.
Early in this decider, Chen steered home a low centre to silence a crowd almost exclusively decked out in orange.
Dutch forward Frederique Matla quickly cracked a post, while Ye Jiao, the China goalkeeper, frustrated the Netherlands with a handful of sharp stops. Jansen’s hard-hit equaliser sparked delirium on and off the field in Yves-du-Manoir Stadium.
Pien Sanders, Maria Verschoor and Marijn Veen all assuredly converted in the shoot-out. Zhong Jiaqi was China’s only successful taker. He Jiangxin, Zou Meirong and Ma Ning were all denied by Dutch keeper Anne Veenendaal.
Annan denied she was more motivated by facing the Netherlands, whom she led to Olympic silver in 2016 before the Tokyo triumph. “I am coaching China and that is special,” the 51-year-old said.
She scored in Australia’s Olympic final victories in 1996 and 2000, but put China’s march to the gold medal contest “up near the top” of her career achievements.
“It is what we give up to be here, being away from family and friends … a lot of things behind the scenes that we’ve been doing and changing,” said Annan, who revealed she was in talks with China hockey bosses over extending her tenure.
“This is a team that really wanted to get on the podium and were willing to believe in what we gave them to do.
“We were minutes away from winning a gold medal, which is amazing, and that can only create a strong bond with your players.
“I didn’t come in and change a culture. That wasn’t my job. I came in to be part of the culture.”

Asked if she would regret the gold slipping away so late, Annan said: “I regret nothing. We knew it was going to be difficult against the No 1 team in the world.
“They thought they would beat everyone here by five goals. We took them to a shoot-out and I’m extremely proud of the players.”
Defender Gu Bingfeng, who featured in all of China’s eight matches in France, said: “We have been training with high intensity and improving.
“I think the biggest change for us is our determination, and then we have this especially great coach. She teaches us to control matches and gives us new tactics. We are on an upward trajectory now.”
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Paris Olympics 2024

China

Coach Alyson Annan hails ‘amazing sporting culture’ in China after her team come close to upset against world No 1 Netherlands in final


Coach Alyson Annan hails ‘amazing sporting culture’ in China after her team come close to upset against world No 1 Netherlands in final.
