Paris 2024 Olympic Games: How the Teams Qualified

Portions of Content Courtesy of FIH

The countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has hit double digits and the excitement continues to mount within the global hockey community. With all 12 men’s and women’s teams now qualified and placed into their respective pools, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) took a look at how each team secured their spot in the Olympic Games.

Netherlands: The reigning Olympic and world champions continued their dominance by securing a direct spot in Paris 2024 as continental champions, through their gold medal victory at the EuroHockey Championships 2023. 

Belgium: Belgium finished second at the EuroHockey Championships 2023 behind the indomitable Netherlands, which meant they had to finish in the top-3 at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Valencia to qualify for Paris 2024, after missing out on the two previous editions of the Games. Belgium flourished at the qualifiers staying unbeaten to finish first and qualify for the upcoming Olympic Games. 

Germany: Germany finished as the bronze medalists at the EuroHockey Championships 2023 and had to play in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi, India. Germany won all their matches in the qualifiers, including a tense shoot-out win against India in the semifinals, to secure their place at Paris 2024.

Japan: Japan finished fourth in the Asian Games 2023, and qualified for the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi, India. Their campaign reached a make-or-break point after losing the semifinal against USA, when they faced hosts India in the third place match, where a closely fought victory secured their place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

China: A stellar campaign in the Asian Games 2022, at home in Hangzhou, China, saw China win all their matches and qualify for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games as the continental champions of Asia. 

France: France qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as hosts. 

Australia: Australia qualified for their 11th straight appearance at the Olympic Games in women’s hockey by winning the Oceania Cup 2023, which sent them directly to Paris 2024 as the continental champions from Oceania. 

Argentina: With six medals in the previous seven editions of the Olympic Games, Argentina are one of the most successful teams in Olympic hockey history. They qualified for their 11th straight appearance in the games by winning gold at the Pan American Games 2023, and will be aiming to get their first ever Olympic gold at Paris 2024. 

Great Britain: Great Britain qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by finishing third at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Valencia, Spain. They had to do it the hard way though, as they faced off against continental rivals Ireland in a do-or-die third place match, where a narrow 2-1 win sent them to Paris 2024, where they will arrive on the back of three consecutive podium finishes. 

Spain: A sixth place finish at the EuroHockey Championships sent Spain into the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in front of their home crowds in Valencia. Cheered on by their massive crowds, Spain went all the way to the finals in the qualifiers, and while that game finished in a close loss, a second place finish was enough to send the Red Sticks to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

United States: Following a few lean years at the international level, United States look like a much more confident side under new head coach David Passmore and the benefits were evident at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi, where United States went all the way to the finals, before falling to Germany, but a second place finish was enough to send them back to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after having missed out on the previous edition in Tokyo. 

South Africa: South Africa join Argentina and Australia as the third team to be placed in Pool B as direct qualifiers from the continental championships. South Africa won gold at the ‘African Hockey Road to Paris 2024’ and will make their sixth appearance in women’s hockey at the Olympic Games, during Paris 2024.