Hockey was first introduced to the Olympic Games at London 1908 before disappearing from the roster. It reappeared just over a hundred years ago in Amsterdam for the 1928 edition, becoming a permanent fixture of the Olympic proceedings ever since.

Despite this year's Summer Olympics being Paris's third time as a host, it will be the first time they host hockey as it was not part of the program during their previous hosting duties in 1900 and 1924.

This summer, as 12 talented teams of men and women get ready to take to the field in pursuit of Olympic glory, here is everything you need to know about hockey at Paris 2024

Where is the Paris Olympic hockey venue?

The field hockey at the Paris 2024 Olympics will be hosted at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir. The Stade Yves-du-Manoir is a historic venue in the commune of Colombes in northwest Paris. It has the distinct privilege of being the only venue at Paris 2024 to have previously hosted an Olympic event, having been used all the way back in 1924 to host various athletic events as well as the opening ceremony.

In the century since, it has hosted all manner of sports, including many boxing, rugby, and football matches, including the 1938 World Cup final. The modern iteration will also be the most environmentally friendly it has ever been thanks to the implementation of the world's first carbon-zero hockey turf, helping Paris 2024 achieve its commitment to environmental sustainability.

Also featured will be the FIH Class 1 Weighted Hockey Goal manufactured with expert precision by Harrod Sport. It's not just Olympic hockey that Harrod Sport has supplied; our equipment – including goals, shelters and rebound boards – has also been seen at the Vitality Women's Hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.

Olympic hockey schedule 2024

Hockey at Paris 2024 will be one of the first sports you can see at the tournament, with Team GB men participating in the opening match against Spain on July 27th at 10:00 local time – the morning after the Opening Ceremony.

The women's event, meanwhile, begins the same evening at 19:45 with a clash between Argentina and Team USA.

The men's group stage concludes on August 2nd with another exciting clash involving Team GB, this time taking on Germany at 20:15. The women's groups, meanwhile, finishes just under a day later with powerhouses Germany taking on their Belgium neighbours at 19:45.

The quarter-finals are when things start getting tense, with the men's taking place on August 4th and the women's a day later on the 5th. The men's semi-final will be on August 6th with the bronze medal and final following on August 8th at 19:00. The women's semi-final will take place on August 7th with their bronze medallist and champion decided on August 9th in a 20:00 showdown.

The full Paris 2024 men's and women's hockey schedule can be found here.

Women's Olympic hockey at Paris 2024

The women's event promises exciting viewing! Will the Netherlands retain their crown, could Belgium spring a surprise, and how will Team GB fare?

The women's Olympic hockey pools are as follows:

Pool A	Pool B
Netherlands	Australia
Belgium	Argentina
Germany	Great Britain
Japan	Spain
China	United States
France	South Africa

Women's Olympic qualifying

There were two ways teams could qualify for Paris 2024: the first was through a continental championship and the second was via a pair of wild card tournaments held in Ranchi and Valencia. France automatically qualified as hosts.

Women's Olympic qualification via continental tournaments

Australia were the first to book their spot having comprehensively beaten hosts New Zealand in the Women's Oceania Cup. They were followed by an imperious Dutch team that waltzed to the Women's Euro Hockey Championship title, dispatching Belgium in the final.

Next on the plane to Paris was China, whose gold medal against South Korea in the final of the Asian Games secured their qualification. Meanwhile, Argentina's close-fought 2-1 victory over Team USA at the Pan-American Games saw them join the lineup. Finally, the African qualifiers saw South Africa emerge victorious after hammering Nigeria in the final 9-0.

Women's Olympic qualification via the wild card tournaments

The wild card tournaments gave the teams a second chance to get to Paris.

The first tournament - held in Ranchi, India - would see the top three teams out of eight reach the Olympics. Germany took gold, beating the United States in the final, which saw them both qualify. To get there, the Germans did have to endure penalties against hosts India in the semi-final.

India was left heartbroken again when a sixth-minute strike from Japan's Kana Urata in the bronze medal match saw the Cherry Blossoms reach Paris at the expense of the hosts.

The second tournament in Valencia, Spain was no less dramatic. Following the same format as the previous tournament, the Belgian team, powered by Barbara Nelen's stand-out performance, took gold against hosts Spain in the final. That saw both teams reach Paris.

Ireland had been strong performers throughout the tournament, having drawn with Belgium in the group stage and only lost on penalties to Spain in the semi-finals. This commendable showing gave them a chance to qualify against team GB in the bronze medal match. Sadly, for them, and despite boasting the tournament's best goalkeeper in Ayeisha McFerran, Team GB found a way through and ran out 2-1 winners to claim the final qualification berth.

Who are the women's favourites?

The pre-tournament favourites for the women's hockey at Paris 2024 are the Netherlands. Not only were they victorious four years ago in Tokyo, but they also breezed through European qualifying, triumphing over the likes of Spain and Italy while also comfortably beating Belgium twice. Their continued placement at the top of the world rankings by such a wide margin further showcases the daunting task of any nation wishing to unseat them.

Argentina will certainly be first in line to usurp the throne should it come to it. Out for revenge after losing the final in Tokyo, and with attacking superstar María José Granatto in the ranks, they could well do it.

You would have to go back 20 years ago to Athens for when the German women's team last took a hockey gold, but their bronze medal at Rio 2016 showed that they are still a force to be reckoned with. If any other European nation was going to upset the Dutch, it would be the Die Danas.

Who are the dark horses?

The Hockeyroos are a formidable team who have dreams of replicating the Australian women's hockey golden generation of the late 90s that took gold in Atlanta and then again on home soil in Sydney. They will be keen to make up for their Tokyo quarter-final exit against India in 2020, and a medal certainly seems within reach - even if it's not gold.

Having recently overtaken Australia in the world rankings, Belgium is likely to be a tricky prospect for any team. Their squad is full of talent including Ambre Ballenghien, who was on fire in the qualifiers with nine goals, as well as the up-and-coming duo of Camille Blis and Charlotte Englebert. Their double loss against the Netherlands in qualifying has tempered expectations of a gold medal, but it is a sign of how far this Belgium team has come that a place on the podium is a reasonable expectation.

As the best team in Asia, China is a solid proposition and can beat anyone on their day. With star defender Gu Bingfeng on form, they should prove to be a difficult opponent for those in Pool A. They will be hoping to add to their lone silver medal from Beijing, or at the very least improve from their group stage exit in Tokyo last time out.

How are Team GB shaping up?

The last decade has been a successful one for Team GB, with their shock gold medal against the Netherlands in 2016 the pinnacle. A bronze medal four years later showed that they are still a force to be reckoned with, although such is the form of the Netherlands alongside the improvements made by teams like Belgium, that the podium may be a harder reach in Paris.

At 35 years old and with over 300 caps to her name, this is likely to be Laura Roper's last Olympics. She remains as composed as ever and with the same determination she and the rest of the team have shown this last decade, it's not out of the question that they spring another surprise.

What about everyone else?

Spain took the gold medal in Barcelona in 1992, but has been absent from the medal table ever since. Arguably 'the best of the rest', they certainly have enough to get out of their pool and would set their sights towards the semi-finals. Anything beyond that is unlikely but not impossible.

Not even a home advantage could save Japan in Tokyo, as they finished bottom of their group, losing every match. Their tight win over a good India team in qualifying will raise expectations of a better showing. Pool A is tough, however, and it will likely be between them and China for a place in the quarter-finals.

Placed in Pool B, Team USA will be hoping to escape at the expense of South Africa and Spain. When it comes to the Pan American Games, they consistently place in the top three. The Olympics are a different proposition, with just one bronze medal to their name at Los Angeles 1984. A quarter-final place is possible, but anything more looks unlikely.

South Africa and hosts France are both ranked outsiders and will need a minor miracle to escape their groups. Home advantage has been able to propel unfancied teams to greatness before, however a potential hammering at the hands of the Netherlands in their opener would put pay to any underdog ambitions.

Men's Olympic Hockey at Paris 2024

Belgium and Australia are once again going for gold, while India looks to restart their legacy as the men's hockey gets underway.

The men's Olympic hockey pools are as follows:

Pool A	Pool B
Netherlands	Belgium
Germany	India
Great Britain	Australia
Spain	Argentina
France	New Zealand
South Africa	Ireland

Men's Olympic qualifying

The men's Olympic qualifying followed the same path as the women's, with five teams reaching Paris through continental competitions while the rest qualified via the two wild card tournaments. Again, France qualified automatically as hosts.

Men's qualification via continental tournaments

Matching the achievement of the women's side, Australia also qualified first by beating New Zealand in Whangārei at the Men's Oceania Cup. They were followed by the Netherlands, who despite finishing second in their group at the Men's EuroHockey Championship to Germany, still managed to reach the final and secured qualification with a 2-1 win over England.

A resurgent India became the first Asian team to book their flight to Paris after a strong showing at the Asian Games, which saw them easily beat Japan 5-1 in the final to take gold and qualification. Argentina was the next to join as they ripped through the Pan American Games, embarrassing Peru 22-0 in the group stage before a solid 3-1 victory against Chile in the final guaranteed them a place in Paris.

South Africa was the final men's hockey team to qualify via a continental championship. Despite almost being undone by an impressive Egypt in the final, the eventual winner came from Ryan Julius in a 2-1 victory.

Men's Olympic qualification via the wild card tournaments

Just as with the women's event, the best-placed teams from the continental championship were given a reprieve in two wild card tournaments.

The first of these in Muscat, Oman, saw Germany take gold and qualification. They did this despite some scares, including a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in the group stage and a nervous final against Team GB that eventually saw them run out 1-0 winners. Team GB won't be too upset, despite the loss, as 2nd place also saw them qualify for Paris.

New Zealand did just enough with their bronze medal victory over a spirited Pakistan team to also advance to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir.

The second championship was held in Valencia, Spain, and witnessed the Belgians, aided by the world-class performances of Tom Boon, comfortably secure qualification - although Spain did give them a scare in the final, as they both advanced to the Olympics.

A resilient Ireland team claimed the final qualifying spot. To do so, they beat Japan 1-0 in a nerve-shredding group decider and overcame South Korea 4-3 in a topsy-turvy bronze medal match.

Who are the men's favourites?

Despite being ranked 2nd behind the Netherlands in the world rankings, it's Belgium who are seen as this year's biggest threat. Having emerged from the international wilderness to claim silver in Rio, they went one better four years later to claim their first men's hockey gold. With a squad filled with world-class talent like defender Arthur Van Doren, expect the Red Lions to defend their title fiercely.

Having lost the Tokyo gold medal match to Belgium on penalties, Australia will be hoping to go one better this time out. The Kookaburras are one of the most consistent teams in men's hockey, having placed on the podium in every Olympics since 1992 except Rio. The likes of Eddie Ockenden, Blake Glovers, and Tim Brand will all be feeling confident in their quest for victory.

Though they haven't had quite the dominance that their woman's side has enjoyed, the Netherlands' men's team is still ranked 1st in the world and expectations of a gold medal are realistic. Team captain Thierry Brinkman is both a joy to watch and a vocal leader. Expect to see his influence on the pitch as they battle it out to top Pool A on the road to Olympic success.

Who are the dark horses?

Germany would have been disappointed to have not qualified via the continental championships, as they topped a group containing the Netherlands. Their dominance in the late 2000s saw them take gold in Beijing and London, although that success on paper has slowed since they outfought India in the bronze medal match in Tokyo. With stars like Niklas Wellen and Christopher Rühr in their squad, it would be foolish to write them off, however. Expect them to make the podium.

In the early days of men's Olympic hockey, India was the dominant force, clinching gold after gold. Since their last gold at Moscow 1980 however, India has struggled to recapture its former glory. That was until Tokyo, where the men in blue restored the pride of a nation by capturing bronze at the expense of Germany. In Paris, they will be hoping to go even further and reach the final, cementing their resurgence.

A gold medal showing in Rio remains Argentina's only men's hockey Olympic medal to date. Despite being hugely successful at a continental level they have struggled when it comes to the Olympics. It's certainly not through a lack of talent; Maico Casella and co will have their sights set on the medals.

How is Team GB shaping up?

Having not seen a medal since their gold at Seoul nearly 40 years ago, expectations are not high for Team GB. That said, they are in Pool A, which seems easier on paper. Failure to make the quarter-finals will constitute disappointment as a result. They are also in good form, and in Zach Wallace, they have a game-changing world-class talent. Though the gold looks out of reach, it wouldn't be a massive shock to see them make the semi-finals and potentially claim a bronze.

What about everyone else?

Spain are a competent team who can produce real moments of magic. The Redsticks will fancy themselves to progress from Pool A although aspirations of repeating their silver medal successes from Beijing and Atlanta may prove a bridge too far. Spain will pose a challenge to any team they come across and a semi-final appearance wouldn't be out of the question if they get a kind draw in the quarter-finals.

The second of the Oceanic entrants, New Zealand, will prove stubborn but beatable for the larger teams. Despite the glory days of Montreal being half a century behind them, they can still pose a threat. Their placement in the more difficult Pool B means that just getting out of the group should be seen as a success.

Ireland is too good to be considered whipping boys, but the difficult makeup of Pool B means that escaping the group would be considered a success. It looks to be a battle between them and New Zealand to avoid finishing bottom.

Sitting 9th in the World rankings and with home advantage behind them, France has a good enough squad to qualify from Pool A. It will be tight however with Spain and Team GB likely providing their main opposition. Despite their solidity and balance, the quarter-finals may prove to be their limit.

South Africa came close to reaching the quarter-final in Tokyo after a shock win over Germany only for a 4-4 draw with Canada to seal their fate. If they can repeat some of the spirit they showed in Japan, then a quarter-final berth could await them. As it stands, however, they are favourites to finish bottom of Pool A.

Harrod Sport: 70 years of excellence

Harrod Sport is delighted to be an official supplier of the Olympics for the fourth time running, having been present in London, Rio, Tokyo, and now Paris. For all the predictions and previews, you can never truly know who's going to win the field hockey at Paris 2024. One thing is certain however, and that's that the historical gold medal goal will be scored into a Harrod Sport supplied goal and it's something we couldn't be prouder of.

It's not just the Olympics that Harrod Sport has the privilege of providing for. For 70 years, we have been suppliers of everything from major tournaments to school training sessions and back gardens. All our equipment is made with care and quality no matter if it's hockey, football, rugby or our new high performance training Finesse range.