#RoadToRio: Meet TeamGB Hockey goalkeeper Maddie Hinch

June 15, 2016

This weekend sees the start of the 2016 Women’s Champions Trophy, one of the most prestigious competitions in the calender and a perfect warm-up for TeamGB ahead of Rio. Maddie Hinch spoke to Danielle Sellwood to explain the event format and also how preparations are going for the Olympics in August.

The Champions League

“The Champions League features just 6 Nations, but they are the top 6 in the world so it’s a very high calibre event – everyone will be aiming for gold in Rio. This year there’s obviously a lot at stake and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

We aim to win every match and we want to win the tournament, at the same time we want to test out a few things ahead of Rio, but also not give too much away. We’re all watching each other closely!

It’s a great opportunity to just play though and the high standard is prefect preparation.”

Since London 2012

“Attention has grow enormously since we won the bronze medal in London, there’s such a massive buzz around us now which is great. The crowds are bigger, the press coverage is massively improved, everyone is so much better informed now – everything is just so much more exciting!

There is extra pressure from this higher profile though, but that’s a good thing – we wanted more coverage and now we have it”

Being a goalie

“I’ve always been a goalie and have never played out in the field, it’s just my thing! My training is very different and mostly I train separately to the rest of the team – it’s very specific. There are four full time goalies, but only one will go to Rio and there is no reserve, if anything happens then we just have to fly out a replacement.

Being a goalie is quite unique and it can feel a bit cut-off when all the action is at the other end of the field – but then that’s what you want – for your team to be scoring! The hardest part of that is staying focussed in case the action quickly switches ends, which happens a lot. You need to stay in the game, even when you’re not.

It can be rough, but we are really well protected, I get lots of bruises but I don’t notice till after. I’m in the zone when we’re playing and have to be pretty fearless, that’s just how I am and what it takes to be a goalie.”

Danielle Sellwood, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

The 2016 Women’s Champions Trophy is exclusively live on BT Sport from June 18th-26th

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