Tokyo 2021: German hockey women knocked out in quarter-finals

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Hockey women go back to Germany without a medal for the first time since 2012

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These were the Olympic highlights of the eighth day

For the first time in nine years the German women’s hockey team has not won a medal. Athletes had drunk alcohol in a park in the Olympic Village, so the police had to arrive. All the news from Tokyo in live ticker.

aWe dream of a fifth Olympic medal: Germany’s hockey women return from the Summer Games in Tokyo without the precious metal. National coach Javier Reckinger’s team lost 0:3 (0:2) to Argentina in the quarter-finals on Monday and were eliminated. In the 27th minute, Augustina Albertario, María Jose Granato (29th) and Valentina Raposo (52nd) won for the best South American. “The disappointment is great. It will take some time before we can digest it,” said coach Reckinger. “We could not execute our plan and found no solution.”

The DHB Women were the last without a medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. There was a bronze in Rio in 2016, before that in Athens in 2004 with two silver medals (1984, 1992) and a gold medal. The precious metal was also the target in Tokyo – but it doesn’t have to be. “It didn’t go together. We didn’t expect us to be standing next to us,” said Lisa Altenberg. “We lacked courage and conviction. This is a day one would like to erase from memory.”

The German team, which had finished the preliminary round in second behind world champions Netherlands, fell on the defensive right at the start of the game. Argentina dominated the action and barely allowed the DHB women, who played in all black, to develop in the sultry heat of over 30 degrees.

Germany had little to do with the offensive power of the South Americans. After all, the defense was initially safe, so that even three penalty corners in the first quarter were saved without loss. Argentina also remained on the trigger in the second quarter. Goalkeeper Julia Sonntag had to use all her skill several times to avoid falling behind. On the other hand, in German sport, a lot seemed random. Dangerous Attacks: Nothing.

So it was only a matter of time before Argentina’s two-time world champion could celebrate for the first time. Albertario completed a fine combination of close range. Just before the break, Granatto soared. After the change, the German team returned to the field with more energy and now insisted on the connection. But efforts in the third quarter were unsuccessful as some opportunities were not tapped.

So a successful final surge was expected, which, however, failed to materialise. Time and again the German players stuck to the opponent’s compact defense. A third goal conceded by Raposo after a penalty corner eventually sealed the European Championship runner-up’s Olympic knockout, whose resistance was now finally broken.

Schedule, important information, dates and results can be found in our overview of Tokyo 2021.