Field hockey at the Summer Olympics
| Field hockey at the Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Governing body | FIH |
| Events | 2 (men: 1; women: 1) |
| Summer Olympics | |
Field hockey was introduced at the 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.
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.
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. 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.
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 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 since the 1992 games. India is the leading team in overall medal tally with 11 medals (8 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze). India also lead in most number of gold medals.
Men
Summaries
Top four statistics
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 India[e]
|
8 (1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980) | 1 (1960) | 2 (1968, 1972) | |
 Germany[f]
|
4 (1972, 1992, 2008, 2012) | 3 (1936, 1984, 1988) | 4 (1928, 1956, 2004, 2016) | 2 (1968, 1996) |
 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*, 1962, 2004, 2012) | 3 (1936, 1948, 1988) | 5 (1972, 1976, 1992, 2008, 2016) |
 Australia
|
1 (2004) | 3 (1968, 1976, 1992) | 5 (1964, 1996, 2000*, 2008, 2012) | 2 (1984, 1988) |
 New Zealand
|
1 (1976) | |||
 Argentina
|
1 (2016) | |||
 Spain
|
3 (1980, 1996, 2008) | 1 (1960) | 2 (1964, 2004) | |
 Belgium
|
1 (2016) | 1 (1920*) | 1 (1928) | |
 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 | 1908 |
1920 |
1928 |
 1932 |
 1936 |
1948 |
 1952 |
1956 |
 1960 |
1964 |
 1968 |
1972 |
 1976 |
1980 |
1984 |
 1988 |
1992 |
1996 |
2000 |
 2004 |
 2008 |
2012 |
 2016 |
2021 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan
|
– | – | – | – | 6th | 8th | – | 11th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Argentina
|
– | – | – | – | – | 5th | – | – | – | – | 14th | 14th | 11th | – | – | 8th | 11th | 9th | 8th | 11th | – | 10th | 1st | Q | 12 |
| Australia
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5th | 6th | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 2nd | – | 4th | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 6th | Q | 16 |
 Austria
|
– | – | 9th | – | – | 8th | 7th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Belgium
|
– | 3rd | 4th | – | 9th | 5th | 9th | 7th | 11th | 11th | 9th | 10th | 9th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9th | 5th | 2nd | Q | 15 |
| Brazil
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12th | – | 1 |
| Canada
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13th | – | – | 10th | – | 12th | 11th | – | – | 10th | – | 10th | – | 11th | Q | 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 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 |
| Great Britain
|
– | 1st | – | – | – | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 9th | 12th | 6th | – | – | 3rd | 1st | 6th | 7th | 6th | 9th | 5th | 4th | 9th | Q | 18 |
| Germany
|
5th | – | 3rd | – | 2nd | – | 5th | – | 1st | 4th | 5th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 3rd | Q | 12 | ||||||||
 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 | Q | 21 |
 Ireland
|
2nd | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10th | – | 2 |
| Italy
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | – | 13th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Team | 1908 |
1920 |
1928 |
1932 |
1936 |
1948 |
1952 |
1956 |
1960 |
1964 |
1968 |
1972 |
1976 |
1980 |
1984 |
1988 |
1992 |
1996 |
2000 |
2004 |
2008 |
2012 |
2016 |
2021 |
Total |
| Japan
|
– | – | – | 2nd | 7th | – | – | – | 14th | 7th | 13th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 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 | 4th | Q | 19 |
| New Zealand
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6th | 5th | 13th | 7th | 9th | 1st | – | 7th | – | 8th | – | – | 6th | 7th | 9th | 7th | Q | 13 |
| 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 | – | Q | 5 |
| 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 | Q | 18 |
 Switzerland
|
– | – | 7th | – | 5th | 5th | 7th | – | 15th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 |
 Tanzania
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Uganda
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 United Team of Germany
|
– | 3rd | 7th | 5th | Defunct | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| United States
|
– | – | – | 3rd | 11th | 11th | – | 12th | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | – | – | 12th | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 |
 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 | 270 |
- # = 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 | 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 | |
Women
Summaries
Top four statistics
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands
|
3 (1984, 2008, 2012) | 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) | 2 (1992, 2012*) | 2 (1988, 1996) | |
| Spain
|
1 (1992*) | 1 (2000) | ||
 Zimbabwe
|
1 (1980) | |||
| Argentina
|
2 (2000, 2012) | 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*) | |||
| New Zealand
|
2 (2012, 2016) | |||
| India
|
1 (1980) |
- * = host nation
Team appearances
| Team | 1980 |
1984 |
1988 |
1992 |
1996 |
2000 |
2004 |
2008 |
2012 |
2016 |
2021 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina
|
– | – | 7th | – | 7th | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 7th | Q | 8 |
| Australia
|
– | 4th | 1st | 5th | 1st | 1st | 5th | 5th | 5th | 6th | Q | 10 |
| Austria
|
5th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Belgium
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | – | – | 1 |
| Canada
|
– | 5th | 6th | 7th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Czechoslovakia#
|
2nd | – | – | – | Defunct | 1 | ||||||
| China
|
– | – | – | – | – | 5th | 4th | 2nd | 6th | 9th | Q | 6 |
| Germany
|
– | 2nd | 6th | 7th | 1st | 4th | 7th | 3rd | Q | 8 | ||
| Great Britain
|
– | – | 4th | 3rd | 4th | 8th | – | 6th | 3rd | 1st | Q | 8 |
| India
|
4th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12th | Q | 3 |
| Ireland
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Q | 1 |
| Japan
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | 8th | 10th | 9th | 10th | Q | 5 |
| Netherlands
|
– | 1st | 3rd | 6th | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | Q | 10 |
| New Zealand
|
– | 6th | – | 8th | – | 6th | 6th | 12th | 4th | 4th | Q | 8 |
| Poland
|
6th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| South Africa
|
– | – | – | – | – | 10th | 9th | 11th | 10th | – | Q | 5 |
| South Korea
|
– | – | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | 9th | 7th | 9th | 8th | 11th | – | 8 |
| Soviet Union#
|
3rd | – | – | Defunct | 1 | |||||||
| Spain
|
– | – | – | 1st | 8th | 4th | 10th | 7th | – | 8th | Q | 7 |
| United States
|
– | 3rd | 8th | – | 5th | – | – | 8th | 12th | 5th | – | 6 |
| West Germany
|
– | 2nd | 5th | Defunct | 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.
Debut of teams
| Year | Debutants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Austria, Czechoslovakia *, India, Poland, Soviet Union *, Zimbabwe
|
6 |
| 1984 | Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, United States, West Germany *
|
6 |
| 1988 | Argentina, Great Britain, South Korea
|
3 |
| 1992 | Germany #, Spain
|
1 (+1) |
| 1996 | No debuts | 0 |
| 2000 | China, South Africa
|
2 |
| 2004 | No debuts | 0 |
| 2008 | Japan
|
1 |
| 2012 | Belgium
|
1 |
| 2016 | No debuts | 0 |
| 2020 | Ireland
|
1 |
| Total | 21 (+1^) |
- * = Defunct Team
- # = Germany is official successor of West Germany
Medal table
Total
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  India (IND)[e] | 8 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| 2 |  Netherlands (NED) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 |
| 3 |  Australia (AUS) | 4 | 3 | 5 | 12 |
| 4 |  Great Britain (GBR) | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
| 5 |  Germany (GER) | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 6 |  Pakistan (PAK) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 7 |  Spain (ESP) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 8 | West Germany (FRG) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 |  Argentina (ARG) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 10 |  New Zealand (NZL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Zimbabwe (ZIM) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 12 |  South Korea (KOR) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 13 |  Belgium (BEL) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 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) | 33 | 33 | 34 | 100 | |
Men
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India[e] | 8 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| 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 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 7 | West Germany | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | Argentina | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10 | Spain | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 11 | Belgium | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 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) | 23 | 23 | 24 | 70 | |
Women
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 2 | Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Germany | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Great Britain | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Spain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 | Argentina | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 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) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | |
See also
Notes
- ^ There was no bronze medal match for the 1908 Games in London.
- ^ a b The 1920 tournament was played in a round-robin format, so there were no gold medal or bronze medal matches.
- ^ a b Three teams participated in the 1932 tournament, so they played a round-robin format.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Includes three gold medals as British India
- ^ Includes results representing the United Team of Germany from 1956 to 1964 and West Germany from 1968 to 1988
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Includes representing West Germany from 1984 to 1988
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