Field hockey, otherwise known as ‘hockey,’ has roots dating to antiquity. Modern field hockey emerged in England in the mid-19th century and the sport has grown in popularity over time. Gender balance is a core tenet of this sport; of the 30 million players worldwide, about 51% are women and 49% are men.

Field hockey made its first Olympic appearance during the 1908 Games in London, but the women’s game was not introduced until the 1980 Moscow Games. India has dominated the sport’s history as the men’s team has won eight golds and six consecutive titles between 1928 and 1956, enjoying a stretch of 30 wins. Other countries have climbed to the top of the international rankings — including Argentina, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Spain and France — growing the sport on a global scale.

The United States qualified for the women’s field hockey tournament in the Paris Olympics after missing out on the Tokyo Games. The Americans clinched a spot after beating Japan, 2-1, in the semifinals of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier in January, where the top three nations earned Olympic berths.

The Americans are currently ranked 12th in the world and have defeated three higher-ranked teams — No. 6 India, No. 11 New Zealand and No. 9 Japan — on the way to the berth. 

The U.S. has won one Olympic medal in women’s field hockey — bronze in 1984. The U.S. women’s team qualified for the Olympics each year from 2008 to 2016, with a best finish of fifth in '16. The games begin Saturday, July 27 and run through Aug. 9.

The field hockey tournament will take place at one of the most iconic stadiums in French sporting history: Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, located in Colombes, which hosted the first Paris Olympic Games in 1924.

The stadium got its name from French rugby player Yves du Manoir and was designed by architect Louis Faure-Dujarric. Since 1972, the Yves-du-Manoir has been a multi-sports venue located northwest of Paris that has hosted around 250 national and international competitions, including almost 250 fixtures across a range of disciplines such as rugby, football and boxing. Most famously, boxers Jean-Claude Bouttier and Carlos Monzón vied for the world middleweight championship title in 1972 in front of a crowd of 40,000.

A unique venue in France, it is the only one that will play host for a second time in Paris Olympic history. 

Field hockey venue rendering of Yves-du-Manoir Stadium for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Paris 2024

Though none of the players on this year's U.S. hockey squad have Olympic experience, it's one of the most promising groups the U.S. has put forward in years. Here are a few key players to watch out for in Paris:

• Kelsey Bing, goalkeeper: A veteran netminder with 12 years of junior and senior national team experience under her belt, the 26-year-old was the fuel behind the United States' silver medal effort in the 2024 FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier. Bing allowed just three goals through the United States' five matches and shut out perennial powers New Zealand and India in two shocking upsets en route to earning Best Goaltender honors at the conclusion of the tournament. 
• Abby Tamer, forward: The redshirt junior at the University of Michigan joins the U.S. Olympic team after tallying the game-winning and Olympic spot-clinching goal in the Eagles' 2-1 victory over Japan at the Olympic Qualifier in January. 
• Ashley Sessa, forward: At 20 years old, Sessa is the youngest member of the U.S. field hockey team. She quickly demonstrated her explosive offensive talent on the collegiate level, scoring three goals in her first game with the University of North Carolina and finished the season with the third-most goals scored on the team.
• Karlie Kisha, midfielder: In early May, 82 days before the Opening Ceremony, Kisha was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She enters Olympic competition just 71 days after undergoing surgery to remove her thyroid and just two weeks following the last step in her short-term treatment plan — a dose of radioactive iodine.