Hoci Cymru are delighted to announce the selection of 4 athletes for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Rupert Shipperley, Jacob Draper, Gareth Furlong and Sarah Jones have all secured their places in the GB Hockey squad heading for Paris.
Sarah Jones will be looking to defend or improve upon the bronze medal she won at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with fellow returning Olympians Draper and Shipperley looking to improve on their 6th place finish in Tokyo.
The announcement marks the Olympic debut of Gareth Furlong who achieved his first GB cap just 2 weeks ago at the FIH London Pro League. A dream home debut was made even more special as he netted 4 goals across the 7 games in which he featured.
Having only joined the GB centralised programme in February, following 148 International Senior outdoor caps for Wales and a whopping 99 goals scored for his country, Furlong’s selection is testament to his perseverance and commitment to the sport.
The announcement comes on the back of a very successful Pro League campaign for our Welsh players. Across 12 days, both GB sides played 8 international matches in front of sell out home crowds. Both squads faced India and Australia twice, alongside fixtures against Ireland and Spain for the men and China and the United States for the women.
Further achievements were in store for Jacob Draper who captained the side for the first time in addition to achieving his 50th international GB cap.
Speaking on his achievements Draper commented:
“It’s a huge honour and something which means a lot to me and everyone who has supported me thus far. It’s always great to play in front of a home crowd and I’m really pleased with the quality performances we displayed and we definitely gained momentum ahead of an exciting summer.”
Great Britain’s men will open the Olympic hockey campaign as they face Spain on the 27th July, with the women swiftly following on the 28th against the Spanish women.
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