Agency :
The Netherlands won their fourth Olympic women’s hockey title by beating Argentina 3-1 in the final at the Tokyo Games on Friday.
The Netherlands effectively settled the match in the second quarter, scoring three times off penalty corners, with one goal from Margot van Geffen and two from Caia van Maasakker. Argentina replied with moments left to play in the first half when Agustina Gorzelany also scored off a penalty corner. Las Leonas kept fighting after the halftime break but were unable to score again, settling for the silver medal.
“It’s amazing,” Netherlands captain Eva de Goede said. “I just can’t believe that we actually did it. We worked so hard for it.” The win gave De Goede and team mate Lidewij Welten their third Olympic gold in women’s hockey, after they also earned the top prize at the 2008 and 2012 Games.
The only other women’s hockey player to win Olympic gold three times is Australia’s Rechelle Hawkes – in 1988, 1996 and 2000.
