Paris Games 2024: Australia lose quarter-final clash with China 3-2

The Hockeyroos suffered yet another heartbreaking Olympic quarter-finals defeat in Paris, this time against a China side coached by one of Australia’s greatest hockey players.

Some coaches love playing their old teams. Ric Charlesworth found it “terrible’’.

That was the word he chose that summed up his feelings as the China side for whom he is an assistant coach played the Hockeyroos team he once made legends.

“It was terrible because whatever happened I was going to feel good and bad,’’ Charlesworth said.

China won the game 3-2 so the Hockeyroos are out of the Olympics in the quarter-finals, leaving Charlesworth, the coach who guided them to gold medals at Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000), with his emotions swirling in all sorts of directions.

“I am actually feeling a bit flat because I know how they feel — I have been through it,’’ said Charlesworth, 72, invited to join the Chinese coaching staff by their head coach Alyson Annan, his brightest star of the glory years.

China are moving on to the medal rounds. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

“I am very pleased for the Chinese and disappointed for Australia. Had we lost I would have felt terrible for our team but I am disappointed for the Roos. We were not necessarily underdogs in that we had only lost twice to Australia the last 10 times we played them.’’

Australia has not won a gold medal in women’s hockey since the Charlesworth era but he said the ever-stiffening strength of world hockey should not be underestimated.

“People don’t understand how tough it is sometimes. There’s more than 100 nations play hockey now. Gold medals are hard to win. Australia are always competitive. Maybe they are not as good as we had back then but they still do well.’’ Hockey’s world axis has tilted at these Olympics.

China’s women’s team has delivered on the vast investment to surge through to the quarterfinals under Annan and Charlesworth’s tutelage.

And in the men’s draw India has made its own charge as the country’s vast financial might is on show. As Australia had to beg for a sponsor, it is understood India has a $10million jersey sponsor.

Hockeyroos’ frantic rescue mission fails as QF curse strikes again

The monumental gains made by Trinny Powell’s new breed of exciting young Hockeyroos were washed away in a heartbreaking quarter finals exit as Australia fell to a 3-2 Paris defeat against China.

Australia somehow fell short of an Olympic medal for the sixth time since their golden 2000 performance after China’s third goal was upheld despite clearly coming off the body of one of their players in the lead-up.

Then as Australia mounted a frantic last-minute charge their own penalty corner was overturned with 84 seconds on the clock despite Australian captain Jane Claxton saying it was a clear Chinese infraction.

So an Australian team that had been transformed into a young, exciting squad playing breathtaking hockey – with solid cultural foundations – once more fell in the quarter finals after a Tokyo 2021 defeat.

Australia’s women’s hockey team were outplayed by an improving Chinese side that had spent seven weeks training and playing a series of practice matches and official contests against the Hockeyroos earlier this year.

To salt the wound, the win was masterminded by the Australian hockey royalty so instrumental in those 1996-2000 victories.

Star striker Alyson Annan now coaches the Chinese side with coaching icon Ric Charlesworth, at the helm of those great Australian gold medal sides, her loyal deputy.

Coach Powell refused to buy into the controversies as Australia went through its second Olympics pool unbeaten before falling at the first knockout stage.

“I don’t know, and there are just way too many things that I would pick out if we started opening that stuff up. I couldn’t be more proud of the athletes. They’re just amazing athletes and they’re just bloody amazing humans, and so that’s why it hurts. You want good things for good people, and sport is not fair,” she said.

“We’ve played some great hockey. The brand is beautiful. They bought in, they delivered. Just not today. We were good today, but China were better.”

Captain Claxton and her great mate Renee Taylor will now retire after Paris, with Claxton mystified by why the second Chinese goal was not overturned on review.

The Aussies made the early running. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

“The referral decision not going our way, not a penalty corner, they are small things that add up. It is very interesting what you see on the big screen (as players) compared to what you see on a computer screen,” she said.

“Those kinds of things change matches. It is incredibly frustrating because it’s so controllable. We can see it on the big screen. It’s completely strange but it’s the nature of the beast. (The final penalty corner) should have been a penalty corner. It’s pretty black and white. You have plenty of time to make a decision with a computer screen and if you can’t it’s worrying.

“It’s gutting. We let them in the game too early and the second half picked it up and had them under the pump. We still had faith right until the end.”

Deep in trouble with a 3-1 deficit and needing a miracle, Australia found a pulse.

Defender Tatum Stewart’s short corner slap shot somehow deflected past four Chinese defenders with 16 seconds remaining in the third quarter and the Aussies had a chance.

They launched a frantic rescue mission in the final quarter as China repelled four consecutive penalty corners and had keeper Ye Jiao forced into a brilliant save with four minutes on the clock.

A day after the men’s hockey side were well below their best in a clash against their Dutch arch rivals, the Hockeyroos will rue their inability to bring their A game early when everything was on the line.

Australia’s young side had built through the tournament with a series of incredible last-minute goals and strong tournament play to top their pool and put them into a favourable match-up against a Chinese side that as recently as last year was ranked 14th in the world.

But after improving to eighth entering this tournament the Chinese had developed an aggressive, exciting style of hockey purpose-built for the high pressure of an Olympic tournament.

In the end as India and China put millions into their hockey programs for Olympics success it was another reminder of how hard it will be for Australia’s programs to thrive in the lead-in to Brisbane.

Both of Australia’s hockey sides were bundled out in the last eight. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Deep in trouble with a 3-1 deficit and needing a miracle, Australia found a pulse.

Defender Tatum Stewart’s short corner slap shot somehow deflected past four Chinese defenders with 16 seconds remaining in the third quarter and the Aussies had a chance.

They launched a frantic rescue mission in the final quarter as China repelled four consecutive penalty corners and had keeper Ye Jiao forced into a brilliant save with four minutes on the clock.

A day after the men’s hockey side were well below their best in a clash against their Dutch arch rivals, the Hockeyroos will rue their inability to bring their A game early when everything was on the line.

Australia’s young side had built through the tournament with a series of incredible last-minute goals and strong tournament play to top their pool and put them into a favourable match-up against a Chinese side that as recently as last year was ranked 14th in the world.

But after improving to eighth entering this tournament the Chinese had developed an aggressive, exciting style of hockey purpose-built for the high pressure of an Olympic tournament.

In the end as India and China put millions into their hockey programs for Olympics success it was another reminder of how hard it will be for Australia’s programs to thrive in the lead-in to Brisbane.