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Russell Simon Garcia (born 20 June 1970 in Portsmouth, England) is a former international field hockey player, who won a gold medal with Great Britain at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul at the age of 18 years 3 months. As of 2012, he remains Britain's youngest ever Olympic champion. He played international hockey from 1988 to 2000 and was awarded his first cap aged 17. He was invited back into the British team in January 2004 to try and strengthen the squad preparing for the 2004 Summer Olympics, being cut in the final selection period. He played over 300 games and scored more than 70 goals for England and Great Britain. In 1998 he was nominated by the International Hockey Federation for World Best Player of the Year.
Garcia also competed in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. He played club hockey in England, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. Between 1993 and 1996 he was player coach at Real Club de Polo Barcelona. Between the ages of 23-26 he took his Spanish club team to two European Cup Winners tournaments, 1995 winning a bronze medal in Italy, and three cup finals (Copa del Rey). Between 1996 and 1998 Garcia played for HDM, a Dutch field hockey club based in Den Haag. During his time in the Netherlands he coached the youth under 18 boys team of Leiden to the national field playoffs and becoming national indoor champions. Between 1998 and 2000 he played in Germany, where he won two league titles and one cup winners medal with Harvestehuder THC.
He tested positive for the consumption of cocaine on 2 December 1999, and was immediately suspended for three months by the Great Britain Olympic Hockey Board as well as by the German Hockey Board.[1]
