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Paris 2024 Was the Olympics of the Goalkeepers in Hockey and How More Penalty Corners Were Saved

Given the significance of Paris 2024 for PR Sreejesh, who announced this campaign would be his last for India, there was understandably a lot of attention on the Indian stalwart. His journey to the finish line was not just emotional; it was marked by remarkable saves as the veteran goalkeeper played a crucial role in India’s pursuit of back-to-back bronze medals.

The tournament as a whole highlighted the importance of goalkeepers, particularly in the men’s event. 

On Friday, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) released a report detailing the key trends from Paris 2024. A standout observation was a 25% drop in goals scored during the men’s tournament compared to Tokyo—155 goals in Paris versus 209 in Tokyo—while the women’s tournament maintained the same scoring levels as in Tokyo.

“Paris 2024 was notable for the exceptional defensive performances, especially from the goalkeepers, earning it the reputation as the ‘Olympics of the Goalkeepers.’ Goalkeeping often proved to be the decisive factor in closely contested matches, with keepers influencing the outcome in games that could have gone either way,” said double-Olympian Jon Wyatt, who now serves as FIH’s Interim Senior Director.

For instance, Sreejesh's incredible goalkeeping significantly impacted India's match against Great Britain. Additionally, both Pirmin Blaak and Anne Veenendaal played pivotal roles in the Netherlands' gold medal victory, particularly in shootouts, while Ye Jiao was instrumental in China’s back-to-back shootout wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

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