The British Olympic Association has today (24 June) named the 16 men's and 16 women's athletes who will be representing Team GB for hockey at the summer 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
The men's squad is the same 16 players who were responsible for securing their place in Beijing at the qualifying tournament in Chile earlier this year and have, according to Head Coach Jason Lee “shown that they are able to perform excellently under pressure.”
Both squads will only be taking one goalkeeper to the Olympics with Scottish Institute of Sport supported athlete Alistair McGregor making the cut for the men's squad. Fellow Institute supported athlete Stephen Dick also made the cut. Niall Stott and Laura Bartlett have been names as travelling reserves for the team.
Selection has been a tough task for both Head Coaches, with Lee commenting “Selection is always a difficult time, but it has been exceptionally difficult this time as all of the players competing for a position have put in exceptional effort during this phase, and I think they all deserve to go to the Olympics, but of course there is only a limited number who can.
Under recently announced IOC rules, there will also be two additional places given accreditation as travelling reserves in case of injury.
Men's squad
- Richard Alexander (Surbiton & England) Position: MID
- Jon Bleby (Loughborough Students & England) Position: DEF
- Jonty Clarke (Reading & England) Position: FOR
- Matt Daly (Surbiton & England) Position: FOR
- * Stephen Dick (Inverleith & Scotland) Position: FOR
- Ben Hawes (Surbiton & England) Position: DEF
- Ashley Jackson (East Grinstead & England) Position: MID/FOR
- Glenn Kirkham (East Grinstead & England) Position: MID
- Richard Mantell (Reading & England) Position: DEF
- Simon Mantell (Reading & England) Position: FOR
- Ben Marsden (Surbiton & England) Position: DEF
- * Alistair McGregor (Loughborough Students & Scotland) Position: GK
- Barry Middleton (HGC & England) Position: FOR
- Rob Moore (Surbiton & England) Position: FOR
- James Tindall (Surbiton & England) Position: FOR
- Alastair Wilson (Beeston & England) Position: FOR/DEF
Travelling reserves
- * Niall Stott (Kelburne & Scotland) Position: FOR/DEF
- James Fair (Cannock & England) Position: GK
Women's squad
- Jennie Bimson (Leicester & England) Position: MID
- Mel Clewlow (Canterbury & England) Position: DEF
- Charlotte Craddock (Cannock & England) Position: DEF
- Crista Cullen (Leicester & England) Position: DEF
- Alex Danson (Slough & England) Position: FOR
- Jo Ellis (Ipswich & England) Position: MID/FOR
- Jo Ellis (Bowdon Hightown & England) Position: FOR
- Anne Panter (Leicester & England) Position: DEF/MID
- Helen Richardson (Leicester & England) Position: DEF
- Chloe Rogers (Chelmsford & England) Position: MID/FOR
- Beth Storry (SCHC & England) Position: GK
- Sarah Thomas (Rotterdam & Wales) Position: MID/FOR
- Rachel Walker (Olton & England) Position: MID
- Kate Walsh (Slough & England) Position: DEF
- Lisa Wooding (Chelmsford & England) Position: DEF/MID
- Lucilla Wright (Olton & WW & England) Position: MID
Travelling reserves
- * Laura Bartlett (Milne Craig Western & Scotland) Position: MID
- Katy Roberts (Chelmsford & England) Position: GK
* denotes Scottish Institute of Sport supported athlete