MADI’S MISSION
OUR HOCKEY STAR BACK IN ACTION
CABARITA Beach product Madison Fitzpatrick’s horror injury run is over just in time to help Australia in their mission to end a 20-year Women’s Hockey World Cup drought. The Hockeyroos are ranked fifth in the world heading into the tournament that will start in London on Saturday, having taken silver at the last event four years ago in the Netherlands but not clinched gold since 1998. The presence of Fitzpatrick, 21, is a significant boost after she spent the past seven months sidelined. Shin splints struck in December, forcing her into a rehabilitation program that resulted in her missing the Commonwealth Games. Then, her return for the team’s New Zealand tour ended abruptly courtesy of an adductor tear at training just two days beforehand. “It was extremely disappointing because the rehab got me pretty fit and then I kind of got excited to play again, cracked back into the team and then of course something was bound to happen,” she reflected. Fitzpatrick though is upbeat about finally being injury-free and can’t wait to start rebuilding her on-field confidence at an event considered even bigger than the Commonwealth Games. “I think everyone knows that the World Cup is very much a bigger deal,” she said. “It’s the one under the Olympics so I think everyone is just getting really pumped up for it. We’ve been preparing well and putting that kind of pressure and expectation on ourselves.” Having flown out on July 11, Australia will face Japan (ranked 12th), Belgium (13th) and New Zealand (fourth) during the World Cup group stage. World No.1 the Netherlands are among the gold medal favourites. “They have got a few major tournaments under their belt but I think if you look back to Rio (2016 Olympics), their reputation may have got the better of them,” Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick is joined in the 18-member Hockeyroos squad by Labrador’s Ambrosia Malone.