International Hockey Federation : Olympic Hockey 'did you know'

The 1976 Olympic hockey tournament in Montreal featured 11 teams instead of 12 as Kenya refused to participate because New Zealand had sent a rugby team to South Africa.

The last time the men's Olympic gold medal match did not feature a single European country was in Montreal 1976 when New Zealand defeated Australia 1-0.

The men’s teams of England (London 1908) and West Germany (Munich 1972) have won Olympic Gold on home soil.

The first Olympic women's match to be decided on penalty strokes was in Atlanta 1996 when Netherlands defeated Great Britain 4-3 in the penalty stroke competition in the bronze medal match.

Rome (1960), Mexico (1968) and Munich (1972) boasted the largest Olympic men’s tournaments with 16 teams taking part.

The women’s teams of Spain (Barcelona 1992) and Australia (Sydney 2000) were the only women’s teams that won Olympic Gold on home soil.

Tanzania holds the record for most goals conceded in a single Olympic Games edition when in Moscow 1980 the team conceded a record 58 goals in 6 matches.

In Athens 2004 Germany claimed the bronze medal beating Spain through a golden goal of Björn Michel.

Sydney 2000 was the first time China participated at the Olympic Hockey tournament.

The longest Olympic match was played in Mexico 1968 when Netherlands defeated Spain 1-0 for 5th place. The match, with ten periods of 7.5 minutes of extra time, lasted 2 hours and 25 minutes. Kick Thole scored the winning goal for the Dutch team.

The first time the Olympic hockey tournament was played on artificial turf was in 1976 in Montreal.

In Atlanta 1996 the United States women's squad was the first hosts who failed to win a medal in women's Olympic hockey.

The twin sisters Sonia Robertson and Sandra Chick of Zimbabwe won a gold medal in Moscow 1980. They are the first twin gold medalists in hockey history.

The first Olympic final was played on 31 October 1908 in London. England defeated Ireland 8-1.

Elisabeth Maragall Verge led Spain to the gold medal in 1992, by scoring a field goal in the 87th-minute.

Zimbabwe, Czechoslovakia, Soviet Union, India, Austria and Poland participated in the first women's Olympic hockey tournament in Moscow 1980.

In Munich 1972, 228 goals were scored in 68 matches. The only other Olympic tournament with 200+ goals was Athens 2004 with 213 goals.

Australia, Germany and Netherlands have won Olympic gold in both Men's and Women's Hockey.

During the 1992 Olympics of Barcelona, Terrassa was the city where the hockey competition was played.

Ahmed Shahbaz Sr, who won bronze with Pakistan in Barcelona 1992, was nicknamed 'The Man With The Electric Heels'

In Los Angeles 1932, Roop Singh scored 10 goals in India's 24-1 victory over USA.

In Athens 2004 Australia won Olympic Gold by defeating Netherlands in the final through a golden goal of Jamie Dwyer.

In 1920 the match England-France was not played because France withdrew because of illness. As a result England was awarded two points.

Stephan Veen (NED) scored three goals and the winning penalty stroke in the gold medal match in Sydney 2000: Netherlands - Korea 3-3.

Arlene Boxhall of Zimbabwe was 18 years and 290 days old when she won the gold medal in 1980 in Moscow and is the youngest woman ever to win Olympic gold in hockey.

India's Ajit Singh scored the fastest goal in Olympic history when he scored after only 15 seconds in the opening match in Montreal 1976 against Argentina.

Ian Laing (Scotland) became the first goal scorer at the Olympic Games in 1908.

Zimbabwe won the gold medal at the inaugural Women's Hockey tournament in Moscow 1980.

In 2004 in Athens, the women’s team of Germany lost twice in the first round (4-1 against Netherlands and 3-0 against South Africa) before winning the Gold Medal.
Three players have won a complete set of Olympic medals in hockey: India's Prithipal Singh and John Peter (1960 silver, 1964 gold and 1968 bronze) and Pakistan's Abdul Rashid Junior (1968 gold, 1972 silver and 1976 bronze).
The oldest Olympic gold medalist is Stanley Shoveller, member of the winning British squad in Antwerp 1920, at the age of 39.

In Los Angeles 1932 only three nations competed: India (gold), Japan (silver) and United States (bronze).

In Atlanta 1996 Australia's Allyson Annan became the first female player to score twice in an Olympic gold medal match when Australia defeated Korea 3-1.

Australia and Netherlands have made most Olympic appearances in the women's competition. They participated in 6 Olympic Games each.

In the women’s tournament in Sydney 2000, 112 goals were scored in 35 matches.

In Amsterdam 1928 (5 matches) and in Melbourne 1956 (5 matches) India won Olympic gold without conceding a single goal.

The first ever Olympic women’s match was played in 1980 in Moscow when Zimbabwe won against Poland 4-0.

The record of the most goals scored in an Olympic final is in the hands of India's Dhyan Chand, who scored six goals in the 1936 final in Berlin when India defeated Germany 8-1.

Dutchman Ties Kruize is the all-time top scorer in one Olympic tournament. At Munich 1972 he netted 18 goals in 9 matches.

India defeated USA 24-1 in Los Angeles 1932. This is the biggest victory in Olympic history.
Great Britain's Russell Garcia was the youngest player to win a gold medal in men's hockey. He won gold at Seoul 1988 at the age of 18 years and 90 days.
The first ever Olympic Hockey match was played in London in 1908 when Scotland defeated Germany 4-0.

(c) FIH / Infostrada Sports