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Field hockey at the Summer Olympics facts for kids

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Field hockey at the Summer Olympics
Field hockey pictogram.svg
Governing body FIH
Events 2 (men: 1; women: 1)
Games
  • 1896
  • 1900
  • 1904
  • 1908
  • 1912
  • 1920
  • 1924
  • 1928
  • 1932
  • 1936
  • 1948
  • 1952
  • 1956
  • 1960
  • 1964
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1976
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020

  • Medalists

Field hockey was introduced at the Olympic Games as a men's competition at the 1908 Games in London. India has been the most successful team at the Olympics. Having won a total of 12 medals (8 Gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze) at field hockey .

History

Field hockey was removed from the Summer Olympic Games at the 1924 Paris Games because of the lack of an international sporting structure. The International Hockey Federation (FIH, Fédération Internationale de Hockey) was founded in Paris that year as a response to field hockey's omission. Men's field hockey became a permanent feature at the next Olympic Games, the 1928 Games in Amsterdam.

India won the gold medal in seven out of eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964. Later, Pakistan was also dominant, winning three gold and three silver medals between 1956 and 1984. India lost their dominance after the 1980s and Pakistan after the 1990s. India won their last gold medal in 1980 and Pakistan in 1984 Games. However, India again won the bronze medal in the 2020 games.

Since 1968, various teams from around the world have seen gold-medal success. Several countries in the Southern Hemisphere have won various medals in men's and women's field hockey, including Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Zimbabwe. A leading group of teams from the Northern Hemisphere has come from the Netherlands and from Germany.

Spain has appeared in the most Olympic men's competitions without winning the men's gold medal, having won silver three times in 1980, 1996, 2008 and bronze once in 1960. Australia had competed in 12 Olympics without winning gold before breaking their streak in 2004.

The first women's Olympic field hockey competition was introduced by the IOC at the 1980 Summer Olympics. Olympic field hockey games were first played on artificial turf at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

Until the 1988 Olympics the tournament was invitational but FIH introduced a qualification system at the 1992 games. The Netherlands is the leading team in overall medal tally with 18 medals (6 gold, 6 silver and 6 bronze). India leads in most number of gold medals (8).

Men

Results

Year Host Gold medal match Bronze medal match Number of teams
Gold medal Score Silver medal Bronze medal Score Fourth place
1908
Details
London, Great Britain
Great Britain

(England)
8–1
Great Britain
(Ireland)

Great Britain
(Scotland)

Great Britain
(Wales)
6
1912 Stockholm, Sweden No tournament No tournament
1920
Details
Antwerp, Belgium
Great Britain

Denmark

Belgium

France
4
1924 Paris, France No tournament No tournament
1928
Details
Amsterdam, Netherlands
India
3–0
Netherlands

Germany
3–0
Belgium
9
1932
Details
Los Angeles, United States
India

Japan

United States
3
1936
Details
Berlin, Germany
India
8–1
Germany

Netherlands
4–3
France
11
1948
Details
London, Great Britain
India
4–0
Great Britain

Netherlands
1–1
4–1
(Replay)

Pakistan
13
1952
Details
Helsinki, Finland
India
6–1
Netherlands

Great Britain
2–1
Pakistan
12
1956
Details
Melbourne, Australia
India
1–0
Pakistan

United Team of Germany
3–1
Great Britain
12
1960
Details
Rome, Italy
Pakistan
1–0
India

Spain
2–1
Great Britain
16
1964
Details
Tokyo, Japan
India
1–0
Pakistan

Australia
3–2
after extra time

Spain
15
1968
Details
Mexico City, Mexico
Pakistan
2–1
Australia

India
2–1
West Germany
16
1972
Details
Munich, West Germany
West Germany
1–0
Pakistan

India
2–1
Netherlands
16
1976
Details
Montreal, Canada
New Zealand
1–0
Australia

Pakistan
3–2
Netherlands
11
1980
Details
Moscow, Soviet Union
India
4–3
Spain

Soviet Union
2–1
Poland
6
1984
Details
Los Angeles, United States
Pakistan
2–1
after extra time

West Germany

Great Britain
3–2
Australia
12
1988
Details
Seoul, South Korea
Great Britain
3–1
West Germany

Netherlands
2–1
Australia
12
1992
Details
Barcelona, Spain
Germany
2–1
Australia

Pakistan
4–3
Netherlands
12
1996
Details
Atlanta, United States
Netherlands
3–1
Spain

Australia
3–2
Germany
12
2000
Details
Sydney, Australia
Netherlands
3–3
(5–4)
Penalty strokes

South Korea

Australia
6–3
Pakistan
12
2004
Details
Athens, Greece
Australia
2–1
after extra time

Netherlands

Germany
4–3
after extra time

Spain
12
2008
Details
Beijing, China
Germany
1–0
Spain

Australia
6–2
Netherlands
12
2012
Details
London, Great Britain
Germany
2–1
Netherlands

Australia
3–1
Great Britain
12
2016
Details
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Argentina
4–2
Belgium

Germany
1–1
(4–3)
Penalty shootout

Netherlands
12
2020
Details
Tokyo, Japan
Belgium
1–1
(3–2)
Penalty shootout

Australia

India
5–4
Germany
12
2024
Details
Paris, France 12

Medal table

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  India 8 1 3 12
2  Pakistan 3 3 2 8
3  Great Britain 3 2 4 9
4  Germany 3 1 3 7
5  Netherlands 2 4 3 9
6  Australia 1 4 5 10
7  West Germany 1 2 0 3
8  Belgium 1 1 1 3
9  Argentina 1 0 0 1
 New Zealand 1 0 0 1
11  Spain 0 3 1 4
12  Denmark 0 1 0 1
 Japan 0 1 0 1
 South Korea 0 1 0 1
15  Soviet Union 0 0 1 1
 United States 0 0 1 1
 United Team of Germany 0 0 1 1
Totals (17 entries) 24 24 25 73

Top four statistics

Team Winners Runners-up Third place Fourth place
 India 8 (1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980) 1 (1960) 3 (1968, 1972, 2020)
 Germany 4 (1972*, 1992, 2008, 2012) 3 (1936*, 1984, 1988) 4 (1928, 1956, 2004, 2016) 3 (1968, 1996, 2020)
 Pakistan 3 (1960, 1968, 1984) 3 (1956, 1964, 1972) 2 (1976, 1992) 3 (1948, 1952, 2000)
 Great Britain 3 (1908*, 1920, 1988) 2 (1908*, 1948*) 4 (1908*, 1908*, 1952, 1984) 3 (1956, 1960, 2012*)
 Netherlands 2 (1996, 2000) 4 (1928*, 1952, 2004, 2012) 3 (1936, 1948, 1988) 5 (1972, 1976, 1992, 2008, 2016)
 Australia 1 (2004) 4 (1968, 1976, 1992, 2020) 5 (1964, 1996, 2000*, 2008, 2012) 2 (1984, 1988)
 Belgium 1 (2020) 1 (2016) 1 (1920*) 1 (1928)
 New Zealand 1 (1976)
 Argentina 1 (2016)
 Spain 3 (1980, 1996, 2008) 1 (1960) 2 (1964, 2004)
 Denmark 1 (1920)
 Japan 1 (1932)
 South Korea 1 (2000)
 United States 1 (1932*)
 Soviet Union 1 (1980*)
 France 2 (1920, 1936)
 Poland 1 (1980)
* = host nation

Team appearances

Team United Kingdom
1908
Belgium
1920
Netherlands
1928
United States
1932
Nazi Germany
1936
United Kingdom
1948
Finland
1952
Australia
1956
Italy
1960
Japan
1964
Mexico
1968
West Germany
1972
Canada
1976
Soviet Union
1980
United States
1984
South Korea
1988
Spain
1992
United States
1996
Australia
2000
Greece
2004
China
2008
United Kingdom
2012
Brazil
2016
Japan
2020
France
2024
Total
 Afghanistan 6th 8th 11th 3
 Argentina 5th 14th 14th 11th 8th 11th 9th 8th 11th 10th 1st 7th Q 13
 Australia 5th 6th 3rd 2nd 5th 2nd 4th 4th 2nd 3rd 3rd 1st 3rd 3rd 6th 2nd Q 17
 Austria 9th 8th 7th 3
 Belgium 3rd 4th 9th 5th 9th 7th 11th 11th 9th 10th 9th 9th 5th 2nd 1st Q 16
 Brazil 12th 1
 Canada 13th 10th 12th 11th 10th 10th 11th 12th 8
 China 11th 1
 CIS 10th Defunct 1
 Cuba 5th 1
 Denmark 2nd 5th 10th 11th 16th 5
 East Germany 11th Defunct 1
 Egypt 12th 12th 2
 England 1st Part of Great Britain 1
 Finland 9th 1
 France 6th 4th 5th 4th 8th 11th 10th 10th 12th Q 10
 Germany 5th 3rd 2nd 5th 1st 4th 5th 3rd 1st 1st 3rd 4th Q 13
 Great Britain 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 4th 9th 12th 6th 3rd 1st 6th 7th 6th 9th 5th 4th 9th 5th Q 19
 Hong Kong 15th 1
 Hungary 8th 1
 India 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st 3rd 3rd 7th 1st 5th 6th 7th 8th 7th 7th 12th 8th 3rd Q 22
 Ireland 2nd 10th Q 3
 Italy 11th 13th 2
 Japan 2nd 7th 14th 7th 13th 11th 6
 Kenya 10th 7th 6th 8th 13th 9th 12th 7
 Malaysia 9th 9th 15th 8th 8th 10th 9th 11th 11th 9
 Mexico 16th 16th 2
 Netherlands 2nd 3rd 3rd 2nd 9th 7th 5th 4th 4th 6th 3rd 4th 1st 1st 2nd 4th 2nd 4th 6th Q 20
 New Zealand 6th 5th 13th 7th 9th 1st 7th 8th 6th 7th 9th 7th 9th Q 14
 Pakistan 4th 4th 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 5th 3rd 6th 4th 5th 8th 7th 16
 Poland 6th 12th 11th 4th 12th 5
 Rhodesia 11th Defunct 1
 Scotland 3rd Part of Great Britain 1
 Singapore 8th 1
 South Africa 10th 10th 12th 11th 10th Q 6
 South Korea 10th 5th 2nd 8th 6th 8th 6
 Soviet Union# 3rd 7th Defunct 2
 Spain 7th 11th 3rd 4th 6th 7th 6th 2nd 8th 9th 5th 2nd 9th 4th 2nd 6th 5th 8th Q 19
 Switzerland 7th 5th 5th 7th 15th 5
 Tanzania 6th 1
 Uganda 15th 1
 United States 3rd 11th 11th 12th 12th 12th 6
 United Team of Germany 3rd 7th 5th Defunct 3
 Wales 3rd Part of Great Britain 1
 West Germany 4th 1st 5th 2nd 2nd Defunct 5
Total 6 4 9 3 11 13 12 12 16 15 16 16 11 6 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
# = states or teams that have since split into two or more independent nations
45 teams have competed in at least one Olympic Games.

Debut of teams

Year Debuting teams Successor and
renamed teams
Teams No. CT
1908  England,  France,  Germany,  Ireland,  Scotland,  Wales 6 6
1920  Belgium,  Denmark 2 8  Great Britain
1928  Austria,  India,  Netherlands,  Spain,  Switzerland 5 13
1932  Japan,  United States 2 15
1936  Afghanistan,  Hungary 2 17
1948  Argentina,  Pakistan 2 19
1952  Finland,  Italy,  Poland 3 22
1956  Australia,  Kenya,  Malaya,  New Zealand,  Singapore 5 27  United Team of Germany
1960 No debuts 0 27
1964  Canada,  Hong Kong,  Rhodesia 3 30  Malaysia
1968  East Germany,  Mexico 2 32  West Germany
1972  Uganda 1 33
1976 No debuts 0 33
1980  Cuba,  Soviet Union,  Tanzania 3 36
1984 No debuts 0 36
1988  South Korea 1 37
1992  Egypt 1 38  Germany, CIS
1996  South Africa 1 39
2000 No debuts 0 39
2004 No debuts 0 39
2008  China 1 40
2012 No debuts 0 40
2016  Brazil 1 41
2020 No debuts 0 41
2024 No debuts 0 41

Women

Results

Year Host Gold medal match Bronze medal match Number of teams
Gold medal Score Silver medal Bronze medal Score Fourth place
1980
Details
Moscow, Soviet Union
Zimbabwe

Czechoslovakia

Soviet Union

India
6
1984
Details
Los Angeles, United States
Netherlands

West Germany

United States
(10–5)
Penalty strokes

Australia
6
1988
Details
Seoul, South Korea
Australia
2–0
South Korea

Netherlands
3–1
Great Britain
8
1992
Details
Barcelona, Spain
Spain
2–1
after extra time

Germany

Great Britain
4–3
South Korea
8
1996
Details
Atlanta, United States
Australia
3–1
South Korea

Netherlands
0–0
(4–3)
Penalty strokes

Great Britain
8
2000
Details
Sydney, Australia
Australia
3–1
Argentina

Netherlands
2–0
Spain
10
2004
Details
Athens, Greece
Germany
2–1
Netherlands

Argentina
1–0
China
10
2008
Details
Beijing, China
Netherlands
2–0
China

Argentina
3–1
Germany
12
2012
Details
London, Great Britain
Netherlands
2–0
Argentina

Great Britain
3–1
New Zealand
12
2016
Details
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Great Britain
3–3
(2–0)
Penalty shootout

Netherlands

Germany
2–1
New Zealand
12
2020
Details
Tokyo, Japan
Netherlands
3–1
Argentina

Great Britain
4–3
India
12
2024
Details
Paris, France 12

Medal table

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  Netherlands 4 2 3 9
2  Australia 3 0 0 3
3  Germany 1 1 1 3
4  Great Britain 1 0 3 4
5  Spain 1 0 0 1
 Zimbabwe 1 0 0 1
7  Argentina 0 3 2 5
8  South Korea 0 2 0 2
9  China 0 1 0 1
 Czechoslovakia 0 1 0 1
 West Germany 0 1 0 1
12  Soviet Union 0 0 1 1
 United States 0 0 1 1
Totals (13 entries) 11 11 11 33

Top four statistics

Team Winners Runners-up Third place Fourth place
 Netherlands 4 (1984, 2008, 2012, 2020) 2 (2004, 2016) 3 (1988, 1996, 2000)
 Australia 3 (1988, 1996, 2000*) 1 (1984)
 Germany 1 (2004) 2 (1984, 1992) 1 (2016) 1 (2008)
 Great Britain 1 (2016) 3 (1992, 2012*, 2020) 2 (1988, 1996)
 Spain 1 (1992*) 1 (2000)
 Zimbabwe 1 (1980)
 Argentina 3 (2000, 2012, 2020) 2 (2004, 2008)
 South Korea 2 (1988*, 1996) 1 (1992)
 China 1 (2008*) 1 (2004)
 Czechoslovakia 1 (1980)
 Soviet Union 1 (1980*)
 United States 1 (1984*)
 India 2 (1980, 2020)
 New Zealand 2 (2012, 2016)
* = host nation

Team appearances

Team Soviet Union
1980
United States
1984
South Korea
1988
Spain
1992
United States
1996
Australia
2000
Greece
2004
China
2008
United Kingdom
2012
Brazil
2016
Japan
2020
France
2024
Total
 Argentina 7th 7th 2nd 3rd 3rd 2nd 7th 2nd Q 9
 Australia 4th 1st 5th 1st 1st 5th 5th 5th 6th 5th Q 11
 Austria 5th 1
 Belgium 11th Q 2
 Canada 5th 6th 7th 3
 China 5th 4th 2nd 6th 9th 9th Q 7
 Czechoslovakia# 2nd Defunct 1
 France Q 1
 Germany 2nd 6th 7th 1st 4th 7th 3rd 6th Q 9
 Great Britain 4th 3rd 4th 8th 6th 3rd 1st 3rd Q 9
 India 4th 12th 4th 3
 Ireland 10th 1
 Japan 8th 10th 9th 10th 11th Q 6
 Netherlands 1st 3rd 6th 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 1st Q 11
 New Zealand 6th 8th 6th 6th 12th 4th 4th 8th 8
 Poland 6th 1
 South Africa 10th 9th 11th 10th 12th Q 6
 South Korea 2nd 4th 2nd 9th 7th 9th 8th 11th 8
 Soviet Union# 3rd Defunct 1
 Spain 1st 8th 4th 10th 7th 8th 7th Q 8
 United States 3rd 8th 5th 8th 12th 5th Q 7
 West Germany 2nd 5th Defunct 2
 Zimbabwe 1st 1
Total 6 6 8 8 8 10 10 12 12 12 12 12
# = states that have since split into two or more independent nations

Australia and the Netherlands are the only teams to have competed at almost every Olympic Games, except for only one edition; 23 teams have competed in at least one Olympic Games.

Debut of teams

Year Debuting teams Successor and
renamed teams
Teams No. CT
1980  Austria,  Czechoslovakia *,  India,  Poland,  Soviet Union *,  Zimbabwe 6 6
1984  Australia,  Canada,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  United States,  West Germany * 6 12
1988  Argentina,  Great Britain,  South Korea 3 15
1992  Spain 1 16  Germany
1996 No debuts 0 16
2000  China,  South Africa 2 18
2004 No debuts 0 18
2008  Japan 1 19
2012  Belgium 1 20
2016 No debuts 0 20
2020  Ireland 1 21
2024  France 1 22
* = Defunct Team

Total medal table

Hockey su prato Olimpiadi 1960 premiazione
The medal ceremony of the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome

Sources:

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  India (IND) 8 1 3 12
2  Netherlands (NED) 6 6 6 18
3  Australia (AUS) 4 4 5 13
4  Great Britain (GBR) 4 2 7 13
5  Germany (GER) 4 2 4 10
6  Pakistan (PAK) 3 3 2 8
7  Argentina (ARG) 1 3 2 6
8  Spain (ESP) 1 3 1 5
9  West Germany (FRG) 1 3 0 4
10  Belgium (BEL) 1 1 1 3
11  New Zealand (NZL) 1 0 0 1
 Zimbabwe (ZIM) 1 0 0 1
13  South Korea (KOR) 0 3 0 3
14  China (CHN) 0 1 0 1
 Czechoslovakia (TCH) 0 1 0 1
 Denmark (DEN) 0 1 0 1
 Japan (JPN) 0 1 0 1
18  Soviet Union (URS) 0 0 2 2
 United States (USA) 0 0 2 2
20  United Team of Germany (EUA) 0 0 1 1
Totals (20 entries) 35 35 36 106

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hockey sobre césped en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

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