31 August 2004	Tuesday	14 Rajab 1425

ATHENS, Aug 30: Australia finally did it. After decades of collecting silvers and bronzes, their men's hockey team broke the Olympic jinx and won gold.

But their women's team could not find the form to take a third title in a row and the crown went to first-time winners Germany, whose young team had fitness and determination on their side rather than expectation hovering over them.

The Athens Olympics showed that fitness is now as important as core stick work. The days of "jolly hockey sticks" are over, these are serious athletes. "A lot of teams said they couldn't keep up with us," said Australia's Bevan George. "We can overpower any team."

Terry Walsh, the Dutch coach, was dismayed by the trend. "It's becoming far too physical. It's moving towards a body-and-ball game rather than a stick-and-ball game," he said. But the combination of strength, speed and skill makes for exciting games.

One team who mixed them well were China. Their women finished fourth but are already gunning for gold at Beijing 2008, hoping to raise their profile in a country with more than a billion people where only a few hundred play hockey.

New Zealand did not win a medal but their celebrations were gold-standard as both their men and women qualified for the Champions Trophy - the first time since 1982 for the men.

The young Spaniards came to Athens with golden dreams, shattered when they were pipped into fourth place. But with exciting strikers Eduardo Tubau and Santiago Freixa, watch this space.

The Dutch were downcast as both teams came for gold and went home with silver. They would, however, have won gold for organisation. Many coaches praised the Netherlands as having the best hockey structure in the world and urged their own federations to copy the Dutch development scheme.

As for India and Pakistan, new coaches could restore them to glory as fresh faces take over from retiring stalwarts like India's Dhanraj Pillay. History should be made when they meet in October.

Pakistani drag flicker Sohail Abbas scored another 11 goals in Athens, taking him to within six of the 267 world record. The man is on a mission. Indian goalkeeper, beware. -Reuters