COLOMBES, France — The Netherlands clinched the gold medal in men’s field hockey at the Paris Olympics with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Germany in a shootout on Thursday night. The final at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium was briefly interrupted when a sprinkler malfunctioned early in the second half.
The game was played on the Poligras Paris GT zero field hockey turf system, the world’s first and only carbon zero hockey turf. Developed for the Paris 2024 Olympics, this innovative surface is made from 80% biobased material, primarily sugarcane, and utilizes green energy. The turf’s friction-reducing technology, Turf Glide, ensures high performance both wet and dry, reducing the need for water and supporting environmental sustainability.
Captain Thierry Brinkman, Thijs van Dam, and Duco Telgenkamp scored in the shootout, sealing the win for the Netherlands. As Dutch players celebrated on the field, tensions flared when Germany’s Niklas Wellen confronted Telgenkamp, leading to a brief scuffle that officials quickly broke up.
The interruption caused by the unexpected sprinkler activation 3:28 into the third quarter added an unusual twist to the match. The crowd cheered as workers swiftly stopped the water, resuming play after about two minutes. The turf’s innovative design meant it performed consistently despite the brief deluge, maintaining the high standards expected for Olympic competition.
The game, initially a defensive struggle, turned exciting in the final quarter. Brinkman put the Netherlands ahead 1-0 seconds into the fourth quarter with a tap-in goal, set up by Koen Bijen’s impressive run through the German defense. Germany nearly conceded another goal, but defender Gonzalo Peillat made a crucial save.
Germany’s Thies Prinz equalized 3:20 after Brinkman’s goal, converting a penalty corner to beat Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak. The Netherlands had a golden opportunity to win in regulation, but Jip Janssen’s penalty corner shot missed wide left with less than a minute remaining.
In the shootout, each team had five 8-second attempts to score. Blaak made a crucial stop on a German attempt that required a re-do, setting the stage for Telgenkamp’s decisive goal, which ignited celebrations among the Dutch players and their fans.
This victory marks the Netherlands’ first Olympic men’s field hockey title since 2000 and their third overall. The Dutch women’s team will aim for a sweep when they face China on Friday night. No country has won both men’s and women’s field hockey gold medals in the same Olympics since the women’s tournament was introduced in 1980.
The Poligras Paris GT zero turf has garnered international acclaim, being chosen by venues in countries such as Australia, England, Germany, India, and the USA. Its carbon-neutral certification and advanced playability have set a new standard for hockey fields worldwide, making it a long-term asset for clubs aiming to improve the quality of play and host elite training and competitions.
For more information about AstroTurf and its innovative turf solutions, please visit astroturf.com.
About AstroTurf®
For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The inventor of synthetic turf, AstroTurf® offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. To learn more, visit astroturf.com.