Like Ian Thorpe and Cathy Freeman, much was expected from the Australian women’s hockey team, and they didn’t disappoint when scoring a convincing 3-1 gold medal victory over Argentina to claim Australia’s 16th gold medal of the Games.
Defending the gold medal they won four years earlier at the Atlanta Olympics, the Ric Charlesworth coached Hockeyroos showed their class and professionalism from the outset and took a 1-0 lead after 10 minutes when the brilliant forward Alyson Annan slotted the ball home.
Playing a high tempo game and utilising their speed, Australia doubled their lead shortly before half-time when Juliet Haslam steered home a penalty corner before Jenny Morris made it 3-0 soon after the break.
Replay: Women's Hockey Final
Argentina reduced the lead with a penalty corner 10 minutes into the second half, but the Australians withstood Argentina’s pressure to claim the gold medal before an excited crowd.
The gold medal was especially significant for Rechelle Hawkes who joined swimmer Dawn Fraser and equestrian Andrew Hoy as the only Australians to win a gold medal at three consecutive Olympics.
There was further sailing medal success on Sydney Harbour when Michael Blackburn secured the bronze medal in the Open Laser Class.
Blackburn, the boyfriend of gold medallist Belinda Stowell, was rewarded for his consistency throughout the regatta to finish third behind Great Britain’s Ben Ainslie and Brazil’s Robert Scheidt.
There was further delight when Australian’s women’s basketball team moved into the gold medal match when downing Brazil 64-52 in their semi-final clash.
Australia enjoyed a blistering start when Sandy Brondello nailed a hat-trick of three pointers to see the team jump to a quick-fire 9-0 lead.
Lauren Jackson was also dominant under the basket finishing the match with 16 points and nine rebounds, while the energetic Michele Timms was a constant threat in attack.
At Penrith, the Australian paddle team also surged into three finals.
Katrin Borchert won her women’s K1 500m semi-final and backed up to partner Anna Wood to win their women’s K2 500m semi-final, while Daniel Collins and Andrew Trim won their men’s K2 500m semi-final.
The women’s 4x400m relay team rested Cathy Freeman and Melinda Gainsford Taylor and sprinted into the final when breaking a 24-year Australian record, and the men’s 4x400m relay team also qualified for the final.
Hammer thrower Debbie Sosimenko broke the Australian record when finishing fifth, pole vaulters Dmitri Markov and Victor Chistiakov finished equal fifth in the men’s pole vault, and Nathan Deakes slashed six minutes off his personal best when sixth in the 50km walk.
The men’s water polo team was eliminated when well beaten 7-3 by Yugoslavia in their quarter final clash.
Both teams had 21 shots on goal, but the Australians lacked the decisive shooting compared to the Yugoslavs.
“It was bloody disappointing,” said Australia’s Craig Miller.
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