By Megan Armitage

Hollie Pearne-Webb is ready to create her own 'Chariots of Fire' moment at Paris 2024.

The 33-year-old from Belper will captain Team GB's women's hockey squad at her third Olympic Games in Paris, having won gold at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020.

Hockey will host a historic moment during the Games as teams do battle at the Stade Yves du Manoir, the only venue that was also used during the Paris 1924 Olympic Games.

Pearne-Webb believes that Team GB women can take inspiration from the venue that bore witness to Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell's 'Chariots of Fire' moment a century ago and write their own history in Paris.

"The first hockey pitch is the only venue being used that was also used for the 1924 Olympics," she said.

"When we arrived you could tell that the stand is quite old and it feels quite old and nice to have that history.

"The events that inspired the 'Chariots of Fire' film happened there so it is quite special that we're playing hockey there 100 years later.

"Especially as a women's team as well as women had only really just started competing at the Olympics back then.

"We want to go there and create our own history now.

"We might have people on the squad who have won an Olympic medal but as this exact squad we haven't so we want to be on that podium.

"It would be great to do that at the same stadium where the Brits made history 100 years ago."

Pearne-Webb went under the knife for back surgery in February 2024 but raced back to top form in time for Olympic selection.

And the Wimbledon Hockey Club defender revealled that her Paris 2024 selection was all the more emotional for the challenging journey she has been on.

"When selection came out it was probably the most emotional one for me out of the three Games I've gone to because of the year I've had," she said.

"I've extremely lucky to have the team behind me as I had surgery in February and was back playing hockey in April.

"I'm feeling good again and was able to play a lot in the prep for Paris."

Team GB women play their first pool game against Spain on Sunday 28th August before tackling Australia, Argentina, United States and South Africa.

It is a tough group stage which Pearne-Webb believes also brings excitement for fans with some unknown clashes to showcase the pinnacle of sport in Paris.

"When you play at an Olympics, no game is an easy game," she said.

"You look at our pool and think it's hard but then look at the other pool and realise the same.

"Our first game is against Spain which will be tricky and a tight game but then we also have some teams we haven't played in a while like South Africa, we've not played them in years.

"So there's a real mix of styles of hockey in the pool which is really exciting."

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