- 9 Aug 08, 06:01 AM
Beijing
GB's men have eased off the gas as D-Day approaches, confident that the hard work is done
Their coach Jason Lee told me the time at the training base in Macau was invaluable for the acclimatisation process, and he expects to reap the dividends here in China.
The stifling heat in Beijing will ask questions of every athlete - but Lee insists it was hotter in Macau, and his men will be ready for anything.
As for the smog: "Everyone has to breathe the same air" he said.
It's a fair point.
Many of the team are already familiar with these problems anyway.
Two years ago England played a World Cup qualifying tournament in Changzhou where Lee told me the pollution was even worse than here.
They beat Pakistan 3-1 to take bronze there - will the result be repeated when the two sides meet on Monday?
In the women's competition, GB looked chipper as they went through a light training session at the Olympic Hockey venue. Jenny Bimson was bouncing around like a jack-in-the-box.
Alex Danson had every right to look happy after receiving the all-clear on her troublesome ankle.
We're told she might change her footwear to provide some extra support.
Christa Cullen and Kate Walsh were firing in the goals from the penalty corners; all seemed well.
Coach Danny Kerry is in confident mood - a medal is there for the taking he feels, providing they find some consistency through the pool stages.
And Olympic champions Germany first up? "I'm glad we've got them first" he said. Predictions anyone?
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Comments
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GB Men just have to win this first game against Pakistan, if they're to have any chance of upsetting the odds, and Pakistan will be fired up as usual. If they do, it'll put them in good heart for the Dutch in the second game, one they'd normally expect to lose. 4 points from the first two games would be excellent and put them in with a good chance of an unexpected medal.
No one has paid them much attention so far, and expectations aren't high, which can only help. They need to convert a much higher proportion of the chances they create, avoid giving away soft goals, and beat all the lower ranked teams in their pool.
Very much an outside chance, but it's a settled team and might just spring a surprise.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
the majoirty of the best players in the uk are Asians yet none are selected
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
sukihammer, you really need to look at the situation in more depth. Hockey in this day and age is not just based purely on the skills and tricks that you can do with a hockey stick - which the Asian players have in abundance - a player must also have the physical ability and mental strength. Let's not forget that the players which you are referring to now are not a patch on players like Imran Sherwani, Kalbir Burrah, Soma Singh or Kalbir Takher; and knowing Jason Lee, as I do, if such players were about he would have them in his side with no hesitation.
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i dont understand why the bbc would extend so much coverage to a teenage diver who has his best years ahead of him (and his upset diving partner) and show precisely 3 seconds of an historic mens hockey victory in the highlights tonight - surely more people play or are interested in hockey than diving???
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I completely agree with juniorone, a lot of people play hockey and it doesn't get the media coverage it deserves.
It needs to be on TV more, not just to applaud the great achievements of GB team but also to promote the sport.
I was disappointed it wasn't on the 10o'clock news tonight.
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Well done the GB men for beating a team with serious pedigree in this event.
I once tried to play hockey and nearly died. I then realised I should stick to more genteel pastimes, like rugby and anything else that is merely very painful.
Respect for their fitness and mastery of a very difficult set of skills.
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Hats off and three cheers for both teams; the ladies for having bounced back from a serious drubbing to draw with a very dangerous Argentine team, and the men for crushing a team that usually inflicts humiliation on our nation in such tournaments.
Now both teams must not loose the impetus they now have, but before we all go over the top and start visualizing gold medallions we need to realize that one/ two games at this stage of the tournament does not a champion make.
I have to concur with earlier contributors to this blog that the coverage of the both teams achievements have been woeful, with regard to exposure to the larger audience. The English Hockey Association must do more, than that which is being done at present, in lobbing the mainstream TV channels for better coverage.
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