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The ghosts of 1988 have swirled around Great Britain’s men’s hockey squad in the eight subsequent Olympics to their unforgettable golden moment in Seoul.
Millions of early-morning television viewers watched behind bowls of cornflakes as the likes of Sean Kerly and Imran Sherwani fashioned a 3-1 win over West Germany, made all the more memorable for commentator Barry Davies’ exultant cry of “Where were the Germans? Quite frankly, who cares” when the third goal rubber-stamped a first win since 1920.
In contrast to the GB women, who have won medals at the last three Games, including gold in Rio, the men’s side have struggled to escape the shadows of their famous triumph, their best effort a heartbreaking fourth place finish on home soil at London 2012.
But for the first time, none of the 16-strong Great Britain men’s squad who start their latest Olympic quest against Spain in Paris on Saturday were born when Kerly and Sherwani temporarily lifted the men’s sport onto centre-stage.
And captain David Ames, the oldest member of the current roster who was born eight months after the final in 1989, believes that is significant in a conscious effort to embrace rather than avoid the high point of men’s domestic hockey history.
Ames, who invited the winning 1988 captain, Richard Dodds, to address the squad shortly prior to their departure for Paris, said: “We hear an awful lot about 1988, but we speak an awful lot about writing our own history and being the greatest men’s side there ever was.
“Whilst we love having those guys around and hearing about 1988, we’d love to spend more time talking about 2024 for the next 40 or 50 years.
“We don’t take it for granted that we know it all, which is why we asked Richard in. We’ve heard it 30 times before but it’s a bit of inspiration for us and a nice touch to spend time with someone who has been there and done it.”
There is genuine optimism for Great Britain’s chances in the French capital, coming off the back of podium finishes in the last two Hockey Pro League events and an impressive qualifying campaign that saw them seal their place at the Games on the back of four straight wins.
I wouldn't have said we were one of those big teams three years ago, but I believe we are one now. There are probably six teams who are capable of winning that gold medal, and we are definitely one of them.— GB hockey captain David Ames
A fifth-place finish in Tokyo was roughly par for expectations at the time, but Ames believes the current squad of experienced players and exciting debutants can go further and potentially serve up further indelible commentary moments.
“This is definitely the strongest culture I’ve experienced in the three Olympic cycles I’ve been involved in,” added Ames. “We used Tokyo as a bit of a springboard, changed the way we play to become a bit more dynamic, and we feel we’ve bridged the gap to the bigger teams.
“I wouldn’t have said we were one of those big teams three years ago, but I believe we are one now. There are probably six teams who are capable of winning that gold medal, and we are definitely one of them.”
