Australian hockey stars will give their all in trying to win Olympic gold
Both of Australia’s men’s and women’s teams admit they have underperformed at recent Olympics but they’re willing to go to push themselves to their limits to turn it around in Tokyo
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Australian hockey is turning the heat up on itself in more ways than one leading into its Olympics assault.
Both the men’s and women’s teams admit they have underperformed at recent Games, and have revealed they’re willing to go to extreme lengths to turn it around in Tokyo.
Temperatures and humidity levels in the Japanese capital are tipped to soar to rival the hottest in Olympic history, and the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos are leaving no stone unturned.
On top of lead-up camps and tournaments in sweaty conditions in Malaysia and Japan itself, players will lock themselves in a cranked up heat and humidity laboratory in a bid to acclimatise.
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The average temperature for the July-August period in Tokyo is in excess of 30 degrees – although temperatures above 40 degrees were the norm last year – while humidity will exceed 70 per cent.
The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos kick off their on-field preparations for Tokyo this weekend with double-header pro-league fixtures across Saturday and Sunday against Belgium at Sydney Olympic Park, but as the year goes on they will take the plunge from the frying pan into the fire.
“We’re going to do a camp in Japan (about a month before the Games) and we’re going to play in Malaysia as well. We’ll test a few things to try and keep us as cool and hydrated as possible,” said Kookaburras star, Flynn Ogilvie.
“The WA Institute of Sport has a heat chamber we’ll use. It’ll try (replicate) the humidity.”
The Hockeyroos played testing matches at the Olympics facility in Tokyo in August last year, and star Kate Jenner says only match practice in oppressive conditions can fully prepare you for the real thing.
“You can do things in heat chambers, but when you actually have to get out and think and perform in that heat, that’s the next element,” she said.
“The plan is we’ll go over a bit before the Olympics and acclimitise so we know what we’re going to walk into.”
The Hockeyroos have finished outside the medals at the last four Olympic Games and are desperate to arrest the slide after claiming back-to-back gold in 1996 and Sydney 2000.
The Kookaburras broke their gold medal curse back in 2004, but as regular world No.1s, concede their Olympics history is underwhelming and want to aim up when the heat is really on.
“There is a feeling of underperformance, mainly because we’ve been world No.1 so many times going into it,” said Ogilvie.
“The fact it’s an Olympic games, everyone is playing at their best so it’s going to be hard to win.
“The fact we’ve been world No.1 has put so much pressure on the team going into the Olympic Games and if they don’t come first, that’s underachieving according to their world ranking.”
Belgium is one of the yard stick teams in both men’s and women’s competition, and the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos are looking to get combinations clicking before the Olympics at Sydney Olympic Park this weekend – and the following weekend when they will play double headers against Great Britain.
Originally published as Australian hockey stars will give their all in trying to win Olympic gold