Olympic Preliminary Round - Women's hockey team defeats France - Dispute at halftime
The German women's hockey team took a step towards the quarter-finals with their second Olympic win. In their third group game, coach Valentin Altenburg's team defeated hosts France 5:1 (3:0). Captain Nike Lorenz scored a hat-trick (3rd, 52nd, and 53rd minute), Charlotte Stapenhorst (11th), and Amelie Wortmann (28th) also found the net. Yohanna Lhopital (51st) scored for France.
There was a heated exchange after the first quarter when Altenburg publicly criticized player Anne Schröder. "Anne, shut up and come here, this is annoying, your body language," the 43-year-old said. "That's not good from you. Come on, pull yourself together."
Altenburg was visibly upset with Schröder's behavior, who had turned away from the team and shaken her head briefly. The 29-year-old did not respond audibly to the coach's outburst.
On the field, everything went according to plan at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in northern Paris. It took just over two and a half minutes for Germany to take the lead. France's women's team, making their Olympic hockey debut, struggled against the experienced Germans, who despite some mistakes played their strengths well. Lorenz, 27, was particularly impressive with her three goals.
Earlier, the team had won 2:0 against Japan and then lost 1:2 to top favorites the Netherlands. In the remaining two group A games, Germany will face China on Friday (10:00 AM) and Belgium, the reigning European vice-champions, on Saturday (7:45 PM). The top four teams from the six-team group will advance directly to the quarter-finals.
The German women's field hockey team continued their impressive form, as they prepared for their upcoming matches against China and Belgium. Despite an unexpected heated exchange between coach Altenburg and player Schröder, captain Lorenz's hat-trick, along with goals from Stapenhorst and Wortmann, helped secure a convincing 5-1 win against France in field hockey.
