Field hockey at the Summer Olympics
| Field hockey at the Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Governing body | FIH |
| Events | 2 (men: 1; women: 1) |
| Games | |
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Field hockey was introduced at the Summer Olympic Games as a men's competition at the 1908 Games in London, with six teams, including four from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
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.
For a long time, India dominated the Olympics, winning the men's 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.
Since 1968, various teams from around the world have seen gold-medal success at the Olympics. Since 1968, 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 11 Olympics without winning gold before breaking their streak in 2004.
The first women's Olympic field hockey competition was held at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Olympic field hockey games were first played on artificial turf at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
Until 1988 Olympics the tournament was invitational but FIH introduced qualification system since the 1992 games.
Men
Summaries
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Team appearances
| Team | 08 | 20 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan |
– | – | – | – | 6th | 8th | – | 11th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
 Argentina |
– | – | – | – | – | 5th | – | – | – | – | 14th | 14th | 11th | – | – | 8th | 11th | 9th | 8th | 11th | – | 10th | Q | 10 | |
 Australia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5th | 6th | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 2nd | – | 4th | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | Q | 14 | |
 Austria |
– | – | 9th | – | – | 8th | 7th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
.svg.png){kind=small} Belgium |
– | 3rd | 4th | – | 9th | 5th | 9th | 7th | 11th | 11th | 9th | 10th | 9th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9th | 5th | Q | 13 | |
 Brazil |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Q | 1 | |
 Canada |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13th | – | – | 10th | – | 12th | 11th | – | – | 10th | – | 10th | – | Q | 7 | |
 China |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | – | – | 1 | |
 CIS# |
– | 10th | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Cuba |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
 Denmark |
– | 2nd | 5th | – | 10th | 11th | – | – | 16th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | |
 East Germany |
– | 11th | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
 Egypt |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12th | – | – | 12th | – | – | 2 | ||
 England |
1st | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Finland |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 9th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
 France |
6th | 4th | 5th | – | 4th | 8th | 11th | – | 10th | – | 10th | 12th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | ||
 Great Britain |
– | 1st | – | – | – | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 9th | 12th | 6th | – | – | 3rd | 1st | 6th | 7th | 6th | 9th | 5th | 4th | Q | 16 | |
 Germany |
5th | – | 3rd | – | 2nd | – | 5th | – | 1st | 4th | 5th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | Q | 10 | |||||||||
 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 | Q | 20 | |
 Ireland |
2nd | – | Q | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Italy |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | – | 13th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | |
 Japan |
– | – | – | 2nd | 7th | – | – | – | 14th | 7th | 12th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Q | 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 | Q | 17 | |
 New Zealand |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6th | 5th | 13th | 7th | 9th | 1st | – | 7th | – | 8th | – | – | 6th | 7th | 9th | 11 | ||
 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 | |
 Scotland |
3rd | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Singapore |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
 South Africa |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10th | – | 10th | 12th | 11th | 4 | ||
 South Korea |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10th | – | 5th | 2nd | 8th | 6th | 8th | – | 6 | |
 Soviet Union# |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3rd | – | 7th | – | 2 | |||||||
 Spain |
– | – | 7th | – | – | 11th | – | – | 3rd | 4th | 6th | 7th | 6th | 2nd | 8th | 9th | 5th | 2nd | 9th | 4th | 2nd | 6th | Q | 16 | |
 Switzerland |
– | – | 7th | – | 5th | 5th | 7th | – | 15th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | |
 Tanzania |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
 Uganda |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
 Unified Team of Germany |
– | 3rd | 7th | 5th | – | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
 United States |
– | – | – | 3rd | 11th | 11th | – | 12th | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | – | – | 12th | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | |
 Wales |
3rd | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Germany |
– | 4th | 1st | 5th | – | 2nd | 2nd | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
 Zimbabwe |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| 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 | 270 |
- # = states or teams that have since split into two or more independent nations
45 teams have competed in at least one Olympic Game.
Women
Summaries
| Year | Host | Final | Bronze medal match | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold medal | Score | Silver medal | Bronze medal | Score | Fourth place | ||||
| 1980 Details |
Moscow | Zimbabwe |
[5] |  Czechoslovakia |
Soviet Union |
[5] | India | ||
| 1984 Details |
Los Angeles | Netherlands |
[6] | West Germany |
United States |
(10–5) Penalty strokes[7] |
Australia | ||
| 1988 Details |
Seoul | Australia |
2–0 | South Korea |
Netherlands |
3–1 | Great Britain | ||
| 1992 Details |
Barcelona | Spain |
2–1 after extra time |
Germany |
Great Britain |
4–3 | South Korea | ||
| 1996 Details |
Atlanta | Australia |
3–1 | South Korea |
Netherlands |
0–0 (4–3) Penalty strokes |
Great Britain | ||
| 2000 Details |
Sydney | Australia |
3–1 | Argentina |
Netherlands |
2–0 | Spain | ||
| 2004 Details |
Athens | Germany |
2–1 | Netherlands |
Argentina |
1–0 | China | ||
| 2008 Details |
Beijing | Netherlands |
2–0 | China |
Argentina |
3–1 | Germany | ||
| 2012 Details |
London | Netherlands |
2–0 | Argentina |
Great Britain |
3–1 | New Zealand | ||
| 2016 Details |
Rio de Janeiro | ||||||||
| 2020 Details |
Tokyo | ||||||||
Team appearances
| Team | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina |
– | – | 7th | – | 7th | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | Q | 7 | |
| Australia |
– | 4th | 1st | 5th | 1st | 1st | 5th | 5th | 5th | Q | 9 | |
| Austria |
5th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Belgium |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | 1 | ||
| Canada |
– | 5th | 6th | 7th | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
| Czechoslovakia# |
2nd | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||||||
| China |
– | – | – | – | – | 5th | 4th | 2nd | 6th | Q | 5 | |
| Germany |
– | 2nd | 6th | 7th | 1st | 4th | 7th | Q | 7 | |||
| Great Britain |
– | – | 4th | 3rd | 4th | 8th | – | 6th | 3rd | Q | 7 | |
| India |
4th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Q | 2 | |
| Japan |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 8th | 10th | 9th | Q | Q | 4 |
| Netherlands |
– | 1st | 3rd | 6th | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | Q | 9 | |
| New Zealand |
– | 6th | – | 8th | – | 6th | 6th | 12th | 4th | Q | 7 | |
| Poland |
6th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| South Africa |
– | – | – | – | – | 10th | 9th | 11th | 10th | 4 | ||
| South Korea |
– | – | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | 9th | 7th | 9th | 8th | Q | 8 | |
| Soviet Union# |
3rd | – | – | – | 1 | |||||||
| Spain |
– | – | – | 1st | 8th | 4th | 10th | 7th | – | Q | 6 | |
| United States |
– | 3rd | 8th | – | 5th | – | – | 8th | 12th | Q | 6 | |
| West Germany |
– | 2nd | 5th | – | 2 | |||||||
| Zimbabwe |
1st | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| Total | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 104 |
- # = 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; 21 teams have competed in at least one Olympic Games.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India (IND)* | 8 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| 2 | Netherlands (NED) | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 |
| 3 | Australia (AUS) | 4 | 3 | 5 | 12 |
| 4 | Germany (GER) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 5 | Pakistan (PAK) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 6 | Great Britain (GBR) | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
| 7 | Spain (ESP) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 8 | West Germany (FRG) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | New Zealand (NZL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zimbabwe (ZIM) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 11 | South Korea (KOR) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 12 | Argentina (ARG) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 13 | China (CHN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Denmark (DEN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Japan (JPN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 17 | Soviet Union (URS) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| United States (USA) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 19 | Belgium (BEL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| United Team of Germany (EUA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 31 | 31 | 32 | 94 | |
* Includes 3 gold medals as British India
Nations
Only players who participated in at least one game are counted.
| Nation | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | Years | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan (AFG) | 12 | 14 | X | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Argentina (ARG) | 12 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia (AUS) | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Austria (AUT) | 16 | 12 | 11 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium (BEL) | 14 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 11 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Canada (CAN) | X | X | X | X | X | X | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China (CHN) | X | X | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cuba (CUB) | X | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denmark (DEN) | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | X | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Egypt (EGY) | X | X | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finland (FIN) | 11 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| France (FRA) | 11 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 13 | X | X | X | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany (GER) | 11 | 19 | 22 | 15 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||
| East Germany (GDR) | X | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Germany (FRG) | X | X | X | X | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Great Britain (GBR) | 44* | 15 | 12 | 13 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 17 | |||||||||||||||
| Hong Kong (HKG) | X | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hungary (HUN) | 15 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| India (IND) | 14 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 14 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 19 | |||||||||||||
| Italy (ITA) | 11 | X | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan (JPN) | 11 | 11 | X | X | X | X | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea (KOR) | X | X | X | X | X | X | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kenya (KEN) | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malaysia (MAS) | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mexico (MEX) | X | X | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands (NED) | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 14 | |||||||||||||||
| New Zealand (NZL) | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Pakistan (PAK) | 19 | 16 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 15 | |||||||||||||||||
| Poland (POL) | 11 | X | X | X | X | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Rhodesia (RHO) | X | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain (ESP) | 15 | 14 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
| Singapore (SIN) | X | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soviet Union (URS) | X | X | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Africa (RSA) | X | X | X | X | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland (SUI) | 16 | 13 | 15 | 11 | X | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tanzania (TAN) | X | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Unified Team (EUN) | X | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Uganda (UGA) | X | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States (USA) | 13 | 14 | 14 | X | X | X | X | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rhodesia (RHO) | X | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nations | – | – | – | 3 | – | 4 | – | 9 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Field hockey players | – | – | – | 66 | – | 52 | – | 137 | 39 | 161 | 187 | 144 | |||||||||||||||||||||
* Four teams competed: England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ There was no bronze medal match for the 1908 Games in London.
- 1 2 The 1920 tournament was played in a round-robin format, so there were no gold medal or bronze medal matches.
- 1 2 Only three teams participated in the 1932 tournament, so they played a round-robin format.
- ↑ The Unified Team of Germany was the combined team from West Germany and East Germany that competed together at the Olympic Games from 1956 to 1964. Then each country sent independent teams from 1968 to 1988.
- 1 2 Round-robin format play in 1980 for women's tournament
- ↑ Round Robin format use in 1984 women's tournament
- ↑ The final standings show both the United States and Australia were tied in points and had same margin in goal difference (both having scored 9 goals and conceded 7 goals), therefore a penalty stroke competition was played to decide the bronze medal winner, with the United States winning.
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