Hockey European ChampionshipsVictories for Germany's men and Holland's women in Saturday's European Nations Cup finals ensured the top of the old order remains unchanged, with the Germans winning their fourth successive gold and the Dutch their third, making it five in six tournaments - only England, in 1991, have broken Holland's supremacy in the women's event.
Spain had to settle for silver in both finals, the women being trounced 5-0, the men losing out on strokes (the third time running Germany have won gold in a penalty shoot-out).
In the women's decider, captain and tournament leading scorer Mijntje Donners scored twice in the first half to take her tally to 13 goals in seven games. Kim Lammers Ageeth Boomgaardt and Miek van Geenhuizen completed the rout.
The gloomiest camps on Saturday evening were the English women's and the Dutch men's - both teams came to Barcelona believing they could win gold; both teams go home without a medal after losing their third-place play-offs.
England lost 3-1 to Germany, having beaten the same team 5-1 in their pool meeting, while Holland had their worst ever finish at a European finals when they lost to England's men on strokes.
Ireland's women, meanwhile, now know the line-up, and the size of the task that will face them, at the women's Olympic Qualifier in New Zealand in March (by winning on Saturday Holland automatically qualified for Athens) - they will fight it out for a maximum of five qualifying places with New Zealand, Korea, Spain, Germany, Britain, Ukraine, Japan, Russia and the next African champions, most probably South Africa.
A fifth qualifying spot will become available if, as expected, Russia beat Greece in a preliminary game before the Qualifier - even as Olympic hosts Greece will not be given a place at the Games if they cannot prove their credentials by beating the Russians, who finished last at the World Cup.
Coach Riet Kuper expects to call up two or three under-21 players to her panel and may find places for other players on the fringes if they impress over the next few months.
The Irish men's next major engagement is the 2005 European Nations Cup, B Division. Asked if he would still be at the helm for that tournament, coach John Clarke would only confirm his contract with the IHA lasts until September of next year.
He has, though, already started the build-up for 2005 and expects all of the players who competed in Barcelona to be available - including Justin Sherriff, who finished the tournament with nine goals, making him the top scorer from play and joint second overall (Spain's Santi Freixa topped the list on 10).
EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP (at Barcelona): Men - Final: Germany 1 Spain 1. Germany won 5-4 on penalty strokes. Third-fourth: England 1 Holland 1. England won 7-6 on penalty strokes. Women - Final: Holland 5 Spain 0. Third-fourth: Germany 3, England 1.
Final placings: Men - 1 Germany; 2 Spain; 3 England; 4 Holland; 5 France; 6 Belgium; 7 Poland; 8 Scotland; 9 Ireland; 10 Italy; 11 Switzerland; 12 Russia. Women: 1 Holland; 2 Spain; 3 Germany; 4 England; 5 Ukraine; 6 Ireland; 7 Scotland; 8 France; 9 Azerbaijan; 10 Russia; 11 Italy; 12 Wales.
