Canadian men’s field hockey team nominated for Rio 2016

Type: Press Release

Topic: Rio 2016

Year: 2016

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VANCOUVER — On Wednesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Field Hockey Canada named sixteen athletes nominated to represent Team Canada in men’s field hockey at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from August 5 to 21.

The Canadian men’s field hockey team qualified for the Rio 2016 Games with a fourth place finish at the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) World League Semifinal in Argentina last June. Canada defeated higher-ranked New Zealand in a quarterfinal shootout to secure the top-four finish and a spot in the Olympic Games.

Download hi-res team photos

Fourteen of the sixteen athletes named to Team Canada for Rio 2016 competed in that Olympic qualifier and also won a silver medal at the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

Two athletes on the roster, team captain Scott Tupper and veteran midfielder Mark Pearson, will be competing at the Olympic Games for the second time, after being a part of the last Canadian field hockey team that represented Canada at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The remaining fourteen, including goalkeeper Carter – who was a reserve in 2008 – are first-time Olympians.

The Canadian men’s Olympic field hockey team was named and honoured at the Olympic rings on Cypress Mountain over the Canada Day long weekend. Watch the video here.

Canada’s Olympic men host the United States in a four-game pre-Olympic tournament from July 6 to10 in West Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia.

In Rio, Canada is in Pool B with Argentina, Germany, India, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The Canadian men will play each nation in its pool once in the preliminary round, with the top-four in the group moving on to the cross-over quarterfinal. Canada opens the tournament on August 6 against Germany.

At Rio 2016, Canada expects to field a team of more than 315 athletes.

Field Hockey Canada is the national governing body for field hockey in working to develop and strengthen field hockey across the country, and to position our National Teams for podium contention in 2016 and beyond.

QUOTES

“It’s an honour to be selected. The Olympics are the pinnacle of our sport and to be recognized in the sixteen is one of, if not the highlight in everyone’s athletic career and life in general.  I think we have a good mix of players, with guys bringing different skills sets to the table. I think that is going to serve us well is Rio. We’re in a good position to perform well and hopefully we can get some results in our games and play in the knock out round.”

Scott Tupper, Beijing 2008 Olympian, Field Hockey

“Congratulations to the athletes, coaches and support staff of Field Hockey Canada on being nominated to the Games. We know that you have worked extremely hard to reach this goal and now you have the opportunity to see it pay dividends on the pitch. I’ll have my antlers up waiting to see what Scott and his team can achieve this summer.”

Curt Harnett, Rio 2016 Team Canada Chef de Mission

“We have had strong internal competition over the last four years, with guys jockeying for spots for each competition. It has been a pleasure watching the larger group grow over that period and develop into the team of sixteen athletes who will give us the best chance at success in Rio.”

Anthony Farry, Men’s National Team Director and Head Coach

“I’m thrilled to join all Canadians in congratulating the men’s field hockey players named to wear the maple leaf at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games a month from now. I commend the work done by Field Hockey Canada and encourage all Canadians —35 million strong— to join Team Canada in cheering loudly for all our athletes in Brazil this summer.”

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

The men’s field hockey team which will represent Canada at the Rio 2016 Games includes:

Athletes:

Coaches and Support Team:

Prior to being named to the final Canadian Rio 2016 Team, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Federations.