Women’s hockey: China trounce Germany

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Sydney: China continued their giant-killing in the women's Olympic hockey tournament with a 2-1 win over Germany on Wednesday.

China, who qualified as the 10th and final team for Sydney, have now beaten the gold and silver medallists from this year's Champions Trophy in their last two games.

Determined to prove their win over the Netherlands on Sunday was no fluke, China took the game to Germany.

They opened the scoring through Wanfeng Zhou after 90 seconds, and stretched the lead to 2-0 in the 49th minute when Hui Cheng converted from a penalty corner.

Germany pulled a goal back with 10 minutes to play, but China successfully closed the game down from there, denying their opponents any further shots.

The win took China to the top of Pool B on six points, assuring them of a place in the medal pool round which begins on Sunday.

"We were the last team to get a ticket into the Olympic Games, and we started with the mentality that we are working our way from 10th to first," said Chinese forward Jiuyan Wang.

"We are a hard-working team and have prepared well as a group." In the women's Pool A, Britain came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with South Korea.

In a physical match played in searing heat, the Atlanta silver medallists looked home when Eun-Jin Kim put them 2-0 up in the 53rd minute.

But Britain fought back, Melanie Clewlow closing the gap from a penalty corner in the 57th minute and Mandy Nicholson equalising four minutes from time.

Britain went into the match without head coach Jon Royce, who was serving a one-game suspension for allegedly using crude and "inappropriate" language to a female doping official after his side's defeat to Argentina on Monday.



(c) Reuters Limited.