Field hockey at the Summer Olympics

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).

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

YearHostGold medal matchBronze medal matchNumber of teams
Gold medalScoreSilver medalBronze medalScoreFourth place
1908
Details
London, Great Britain
Great Britain

(England)
8–1
Great Britain
(Ireland)

Great Britain
(Scotland)

Great Britain
(Wales)
[a]6
1912Stockholm, SwedenNo tournamentNo tournament
1920
Details
Antwerp, Belgium
Great Britain
[b]
Denmark

Belgium
[b]
France
4
1924Paris, FranceNo tournamentNo 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, France12

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

TeamWinnersRunners-upThird placeFourth 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)
 Pakistan3 (1960, 1968, 1984)3 (1956, 1964, 1972)2 (1976, 1992)3 (1948, 1952, 2000)
 Great Britain3 (1908*, 1920, 1988)2 (1908*, 1948*)4 (1908*, 1908*, 1952, 1984)3 (1956, 1960, 2012*)
 Netherlands2 (1996, 2000)4 (1928*, 1952, 2004, 2012)3 (1936, 1948, 1988)5 (1972, 1976, 1992, 2008, 2016)
 Australia1 (2004)4 (1968, 1976, 1992, 2020)5 (1964, 1996, 2000*, 2008, 2012)2 (1984, 1988)
 Belgium1 (2020)1 (2016)1 (1920*)1 (1928)
 New Zealand1 (1976)
 Argentina1 (2016)
 Spain3 (1980, 1996, 2008)1 (1960)2 (1964, 2004)
 Denmark1 (1920)
 Japan1 (1932)
 South Korea1 (2000)
 United States1 (1932*)
 Soviet Union1 (1980*)
 France2 (1920, 1936)
 Poland1 (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
 Afghanistan6th8th11th3
 Argentina5th14th14th11th8th11th9th8th11th10th1st7thQ13
 Australia5th6th3rd2nd5th2nd4th4th2nd3rd3rd1st3rd3rd6th2ndQ17
 Austria9th8th7th3
 Belgium3rd4th9th5th9th7th11th11th9th10th9th9th5th2nd1stQ16
 Brazil12th1
 Canada13th10th12th11th10th10th11th12th8
 China11th1
 CIS10thDefunct1
 Cuba5th1
 Denmark2nd5th10th11th16th5
 East Germany11thDefunct1
 Egypt12th12th2
 England1stPart of Great Britain1
 Finland9th1
 France6th4th5th4th8th11th10th10th12thQ10
 Germany5th3rd2nd5th1st4th5th3rd1st1st3rd4thQ13
 Great Britain1st2nd3rd4th4th9th12th6th3rd1st6th7th6th9th5th4th9th5thQ19
 Hong Kong15th1
 Hungary8th1
 India1st1st1st1st1st1st2nd1st3rd3rd7th1st5th6th7th8th7th7th12th8th3rdQ22
 Ireland2nd10thQ3
 Italy11th13th2
 Japan2nd7th14th7th13th11th6
 Kenya10th7th6th8th13th9th12th7
 Malaysia9th9th15th8th8th10th9th11th11th9
 Mexico16th16th2
 Netherlands2nd3rd3rd2nd9th7th5th4th4th6th3rd4th1st1st2nd4th2nd4th6thQ20
 New Zealand6th5th13th7th9th1st7th8th6th7th9th7th9thQ14
 Pakistan4th4th2nd1st2nd1st2nd3rd1st5th3rd6th4th5th8th7th16
 Poland6th12th11th4th12th5
 Rhodesia11thDefunct1
 Scotland3rdPart of Great Britain1
 Singapore8th1
 South Africa10th10th12th11th10thQ6
 South Korea10th5th2nd8th6th8th6
 Soviet Union#3rd7thDefunct2
 Spain7th11th3rd4th6th7th6th2nd8th9th5th2nd9th4th2nd6th5th8thQ19
  Switzerland7th5th5th7th15th5
 Tanzania6th1
 Uganda15th1
 United States3rd11th11th12th12th12th6
 United Team of Germany3rd7th5thDefunct3
 Wales3rdPart of Great Britain1
 West Germany4th1st5th2nd2ndDefunct5
Total649311131212161516161161212121212121212121212
# = 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

YearDebuting teamsSuccessor and
renamed teams
TeamsNo.CT
1908  England,  France,  Germany,  Ireland,  Scotland,  Wales66
1920  Belgium,  Denmark28  Great Britain
1928  Austria,  India,  Netherlands,  Spain,   Switzerland513
1932  Japan,  United States215
1936  Afghanistan,  Hungary217
1948  Argentina,  Pakistan219
1952  Finland,  Italy,  Poland322
1956  Australia,  Kenya,  Malaya,  New Zealand,  Singapore527  United Team of Germany
1960No debuts027
1964  Canada,  Hong Kong,  Rhodesia330  Malaysia
1968  East Germany,  Mexico232  West Germany
1972  Uganda133
1976No debuts033
1980  Cuba,  Soviet Union,  Tanzania336
1984No debuts036
1988  South Korea137
1992  Egypt138  Germany, CIS
1996  South Africa139
2000No debuts039
2004No debuts039
2008  China140
2012No debuts040
2016  Brazil141
2020No debuts041
2024No debuts041

Women edit

Results edit

YearHostGold medal matchBronze medal matchNumber of teams
Gold medalScoreSilver medalBronze medalScoreFourth 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, France12

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

TeamWinnersRunners-upThird placeFourth place
 Netherlands4 (1984, 2008, 2012, 2020)2 (2004, 2016)3 (1988, 1996, 2000)
 Australia3 (1988, 1996, 2000*)1 (1984)
 Germany[j]1 (2004)2 (1984, 1992)1 (2016)1 (2008)
 Great Britain1 (2016)3 (1992, 2012*, 2020)2 (1988, 1996)
 Spain1 (1992*)1 (2000)
 Zimbabwe1 (1980)
 Argentina3 (2000, 2012, 2020)2 (2004, 2008)
 South Korea2 (1988*, 1996)1 (1992)
 China1 (2008*)1 (2004)
 Czechoslovakia1 (1980)
 Soviet Union1 (1980*)
 United States1 (1984*)
 India2 (1980, 2020)
 New Zealand2 (2012, 2016)
* = host nation

Team appearances edit

Team
1980

1984

1988

1992

1996

2000

2004

2008

2012

2016

2020

2024
Total
 Argentina7th7th2nd3rd3rd2nd7th2ndQ9
 Australia4th1st5th1st1st5th5th5th6th5thQ11
 Austria5th1
 Belgium11thQ2
 Canada5th6th7th3
 China5th4th2nd6th9th9thQ7
 Czechoslovakia#2ndDefunct1
 FranceQ1
 Germany2nd6th7th1st4th7th3rd6thQ9
 Great Britain4th3rd4th8th6th3rd1st3rdQ9
 India4th12th4th3
 Ireland10th1
 Japan8th10th9th10th11thQ6
 Netherlands1st3rd6th3rd3rd2nd1st1st2nd1stQ11
 New Zealand6th8th6th6th12th4th4th8th8
 Poland6th1
 South Africa10th9th11th10th12thQ6
 South Korea2nd4th2nd9th7th9th8th11th8
 Soviet Union#3rdDefunct1
 Spain1st8th4th10th7th8th7thQ8
 United States3rd8th5th8th12th5thQ7
 West Germany2nd5thDefunct2
 Zimbabwe1st1
Total6688810101212121212
# = 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

YearDebuting teamsSuccessor and
renamed teams
TeamsNo.CT
1980  Austria,  Czechoslovakia *,  India,  Poland,  Soviet Union *,  Zimbabwe66
1984  Australia,  Canada,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  United States,  West Germany *612
1988  Argentina,  Great Britain,  South Korea315
1992  Spain116  Germany
1996No debuts016
2000  China,  South Africa218
2004No debuts018
2008  Japan119
2012  Belgium120
2016No debuts020
2020  Ireland121
2024  France122
* = 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.