India is the most successful country with eight Olympic gold medals, all of which were won by the men's team between 1928 and 1980. Pakistan, India’s 6 great rivals, also enjoyed incredible success, winning three golds, three silvers and two bronze medals between 1956 and 1976.

In more recent years, the men's and women's teams of Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Argentina and Belgium have all made big impressions. Between 1996 and 2012, the Netherlands men contested four out of the five Olympic finals played during that period, winning gold at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. The Dutch women have also enjoyed considerable success, competing in every final from 2004 to 2021, winning gold at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 to adding to the first title they claimed in at Los Angeles 1984.

Germany and Australia have also left indelible marks on Olympic hockey, with Germany winning five golds (men: 1972, 1992, 2000 & 2012 / women: 2004) and Australia four (women 1988, 1996 & 2000 / men: 2004).

Hockey has also seen its fair share of triumphs by the so-called underdogs. New Zealand men stunned the world to take gold at Montreal 1976, with Zimbabwe women creating shockwaves by winning at Moscow 1980 and Spain’s women making home advantage count to storm to gold at Barcelona 1992. Rio 2016, proved to be another year with unexpected winners, with Argentina men and Great Britain women – two teams ranked 7th in the world going into the competition – creating new chapters in hockey’s history books by snatching Olympic golds for the first time.

The titles at the Tokyo 2020 went the way of Belgium men, first-time winners after collecting silver at Rio 2016, and the Netherlands women, who have now claimed four Olympic titles. While both the Red Lions and the Oranje will be determined to defend their respective Olympic titles at Paris 2024, they will be challenged every step of the way by the world’s finest teams on the planet’s greatest sporting stage.