India move down to sixth in latest hockey rankings
© Getty Images
The Indian men's team, who were knocked out in the quarters, have dropped a place to 6th, while the women's team have moved up one place to 12th after making their first appearance in the Olympics in 36 years. The Australian men's team and Netherlands women's team have retained their top spots.
Following the conclusion of the sensational men’s and women’s hockey events at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has released the latest FIH Hero World Rankings.
Olympic gold medallists Argentina (men) and Great Britain (women) both entered Rio 2016 sitting seventh in the rankings, but their stunning title successes have seen both climb rapidly up the table.
In the men’s FIH Hero World Rankings, Australia’s Kookaburras – who finished in sixth place in Rio – remain in first place, but newly crowned Olympic champions Argentina earned enough points to move up five places to second.
Argentina's Los Leones sit just ahead of fourth place finishers and now third-ranked Netherlands, with Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallists Germany moving down one place to fourth in the rankings.
 © FIHOlympic silver medallists Belgium move up one place to fifth, with India being pushed down into sixth and England (Great Britain) down from fourth to seventh.
Spain’s excellent performances at Rio 2016 saw them finish in fifth in the Olympic standings, enough to see them re-enter the top ten to sit ninth in the rankings.
Ireland’s history-making Olympic performances have also paid off, with a 10th place finish in Rio moving them up to 10th in the rankings table.
On the women’s side of things, Great Britain’s shoot-out victory over the Netherlands saw them claim gold and move up to third in the FIH Hero World Rankings (as England), just behind top-ranked Netherlands and Argentina, who remain in second place despite a seventh place finish in Rio.
Australia, New Zealand, and the USA all move down one place to fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, with Olympic bronze medallists Germany climbing two places from ninth to seventh.
 © FIHAnother climber is Spain, moving up from 14th to 11th thanks to their eighth place finish at the Olympic Games.
The next update to the FIH Hero World Rankings will be published following the completion of the Hockey World League Round 1 events later this year. The FIH Hero World Rankings were updated following the completion of two wonderful weeks of world class hockey that was both thrilling and utterly unpredictable.
Along with Argentina’s success in the men’s competition on Thursday (18 August), Great Britain’s victory on Friday (19 August) means that both Olympic hockey gold medals have gone to first-time winners.
