Why Paris 2024 was the Olympics for hockey goalkeepers, and how more penalty corners were saved | Hockey News

“Paris 2024 was notable for the exceptional defensive performances, particularly from the goalkeepers, which earned it the reputation of the 'Olympics of goalkeeping'. Goalkeeping was often the decisive factor in tense matches, with goalkeepers turning the tide in games that could have gone either way,” said two-time Olympian Jon Wyatt, who is now Interim Senior Director of FIH, in the report.

“For example, in the men’s competition, India’s match against Great Britain was heavily influenced by Sreejesh’s incredible goalkeeping. Both Pirmin Blaak and Anne Veenendaal were instrumental in the Netherlands winning the gold medals, especially in the shoot-outs, as was Ye Jiao in China’s back-to-back shoot-out victories in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.”

A special stat for the history books was also that the field hockey gold medals went to the same team for the first time in Olympic history, with the Netherlands taking top spot on the podium in both the men's and women's events. But it was also worth noting that both finals went the distance, having been decided by shoot-outs, another first in Olympic history. While the men's event was a little more unpredictable, China's incredible run to the women's final, led by Australian great Alyson Annan, was also a sign of an exciting Games.

In the men's tournament, 55% of matches ended in a draw or were decided by just one goal, a significant increase from the 34% in Tokyo. This could also be reflected in India's run to bronze, as unlike Tokyo where they suffered heavy defeats to Australia and Belgium, here they defeated the former for a famous victory while only narrowly losing to the former champions.

Team India poses for a photo after winning the bronze medal in the men's field hockey event at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Harmanpreet Singh's men were no wimps in the semi-final against world champions Germany. Both Australia and Belgium, finalists in Tokyo, lost in the quarter-finals.

Another pattern seen in Paris was the low number of penalty corner conversions by attacking sides, but that could actually be traced back to the men’s World Cup in Odisha last year. As The Indian Express reported during the event, PC’s defensive prowess went through the roof, with improved analytics and multiple pass rushers, with the top sides relying on solid units to keep out the drag flicks.

Key role of the first rushers

Dutch coach Jeroen Delmee had said that the first-rushers are stopping more flicks than the goalies at the moment. That's the main reason, the way they block the shot, Delmee had said. I think the first runner is stopping more shots than the goalies at the moment.

Harmanpreet did indeed emerge as the tournament's top scorer, but his PC conversion stood at 17%. India coach Craig Fulton made it a point to emphasise how teams are better prepared to deal with drag flicks, highlighting Germany as one of the best in the world.

“Across the board, PC conversion rates were significantly lower than expected,” Wyatt said in the report. “For example, in the men's tournament, Germany and Belgium led the way, converting 25% of their penalty corners, while Argentina and South Africa were on 20%, but the remaining teams converted less than 1 in 5. This decline in conversion rates was not due to a decline in attacking prowess, but rather to notable improvements in defensive strategies and goalkeeping performance.”

Another clear trend that was noticed was the use of the aerial ball. In the run-up to Paris 2024, this newspaper had reported that we could see long-range aerial passes becoming a key tactic in Paris, not just for India but for everyone.

“The aerial pass has become an essential tool to break down well-organized defenses, especially in high-stakes matches where the ground play is heavily contested,” Wyatt's report reads. “A standout moment came during the women's quarter-final between Germany and Argentina, where Nike Lorenz's 25-yard aerial pass while running at full speed was an astonishing display of skill that set up a crucial goal, perfectly beating the last defender and allowing her teammate to cross the ball just ahead of the keeper, winning the penalty that was converted to give Germany the lead.”

In fact, in a few agonising seconds late in the semi-final against Germany, a brilliant aerial ball from midfield could have easily given India an equaliser. Harmanpreet found Shamsher Singh in space as the clock ticked down to the final seconds. But the Indian forward fired just over the bar.