South Devon’s Ansley wins hockey bronze

SOUTH Devon bagged a bronze medal early today as the Olympic Games continued its glittering success for Team GB.

Hockey star Giselle Ansley, who first picked up a hockey stick beside a pitch in Paignton, was part of the GB women’s team that won a thrilling bronze medal match against India 4-3.

The bronze medal will go alongside Giselle’s gold from the Rio Games in 2016. She was also part of the teams that won Commonwealth Games medals in 2014 and 2018, as well as European Championships in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

Great Britain took an early 2-0 lead against India today before falling 3-2 behind in the third quarter.

They came back to draw level before Grace Balsdon struck the winning goal after a succession of penalty corners.

GB captain Hollie PearneWebb told the BBC: “I couldn’t be prouder of them all.

“We’re all here because we still had that little bit of belief deep down and there’s been loads of time over the years where we’ve doubted we could achieve this and I’m just so pleased and proud.

“Olympic bronze even a few months ago was in our wildest dreams.”

Giselle Ansley, 29 and from Kingsbridge, went to Churston Ferrers Grammar School and first took an interest in the sport while watching her mum play for Paignton.

Described as a strong and powerful defender, she played county hockey for Devon, and turned out for Ivybridge, Dartmouth and the Plymouth Marjon team before her international career took off.

Track supremo Laura Kenny had warned against counting her out after a rare taste of defeat earlier this week and she proved as good as her word to become the most decorated female Olympic cyclist in history on Friday.

Shrugging off Britain’s shock loss by Germany in their usually dominant team pursuit, the 29-year-old joined trusty team mate Katie Archibald to destroy the field in the first women’s madison event held at an Olympics.

As well as becoming the first British woman to win a gold medal at three different Games, her fifth took her past Dutch rider Leontien van Moorsel to the top of the all-time list having moved level on four in Rio five years ago.

“I’ve never wanted to win a race so much in all my life,” Kenny said after her and Archibald turned a crash-littered 120-lap madison into a procession, winning 10 of the 12 sprints for a massive total of 78 points.

Denmark were a distant second with 35 with Russia third.