Field hockey at the Summer Olympics

Summary

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 .

Field hockey at the Summer Olympics
IOC Discipline CodeHOC
Governing bodyFIH
Events2 (men: 1; women: 1)
Games

History edit

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 edit

Results edit

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)
[a] 6
1912 Stockholm, Sweden No tournament No tournament
1920
Details
Antwerp, Belgium  
Great Britain
[b]  
Denmark
 
Belgium
[b]  
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
[c]  
Japan
 
United States
[c] 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[d]
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 edit

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  India[e]81312
2  Pakistan3328
3  Great Britain3249
4  Germany3137
5  Netherlands2439
6  Australia14510
7  West Germany1203
8  Belgium1113
9  Argentina1001
  New Zealand1001
11  Spain0314
12  Denmark0101
  Japan0101
  South Korea0101
15  Soviet Union0011
  United States0011
  United Team of Germany0011
Totals (17 entries)24242573

Top four statistics edit

Team Winners Runners-up Third place Fourth place
  India[e] 8 (1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980) 1 (1960) 3 (1968, 1972, 2020)
  Germany[f] 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 edit

Team  
1908
 
1920
 
1928
 
1932
 
1936
 
1948
 
1952
 
1956
 
1960
 
1964
 
1968
 
1972
 
1976
 
1980
 
1984
 
1988
 
1992
 
1996
 
2000
 
2004
 
2008
 
2012
 
2016
 
2020
 
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 edit

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 edit

Results edit

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
[g]  
Czechoslovakia
 
Soviet Union
[g]  
India
6
1984
Details
Los Angeles, United States  
Netherlands
[h]  
West Germany
 
United States
(10–5)
Penalty strokes[i]
 
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 edit

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Netherlands4239
2  Australia3003
3  Germany1113
4  Great Britain1034
5  Spain1001
  Zimbabwe1001
7  Argentina0325
8  South Korea0202
9  China0101
  Czechoslovakia0101
  West Germany0101
12  Soviet Union0011
  United States0011
Totals (13 entries)11111133

Top four statistics edit

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[j] 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 edit

Team  
1980
 
1984
 
1988
 
1992
 
1996
 
2000
 
2004
 
2008
 
2012
 
2016
 
2020
 
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 edit

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 edit

 
The medal ceremony of the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome

Sources:[1]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  India (IND)[e]81312
2  Netherlands (NED)66618
3  Australia (AUS)44513
4  Great Britain (GBR)42713
5  Germany (GER)42410
6  Pakistan (PAK)3328
7  Argentina (ARG)1326
8  Spain (ESP)1315
9  West Germany (FRG)1304
10  Belgium (BEL)1113
11  New Zealand (NZL)1001
  Zimbabwe (ZIM)1001
13  South Korea (KOR)0303
14  China (CHN)0101
  Czechoslovakia (TCH)0101
  Denmark (DEN)0101
  Japan (JPN)0101
18  Soviet Union (URS)0022
  United States (USA)0022
20  United Team of Germany (EUA)0011
Totals (20 entries)353536106

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ There was no bronze medal match for the 1908 Games in London.
  2. ^ a b The 1920 tournament was played in a round-robin format, so there were no gold medal or bronze medal matches.
  3. ^ a b Three teams participated in the 1932 tournament, so they played a round-robin format.
  4. ^ The United 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.
  5. ^ a b c Includes three gold medals as British India
  6. ^ Includes results representing the United Team of Germany from 1956 to 1964 and West Germany from 1968 to 1988
  7. ^ a b Round-robin format play in 1980 for women's tournament
  8. ^ Round Robin format use in 1984 women's tournament
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ Includes representing West Germany from 1984 to 1988

References edit

  1. ^ "Olympic Analytics – Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 31 January 2022.