Tasmania's hockey talisman Eddie Ockenden is excited by the potential of a youthful Kookaburras side which began its Olympic campaign with a 5-3 win over Japan.
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The top-ranked gold medal favourites were given a major scare as the host nation fought back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 before Colin Batch's team dominated the second half at Tokyo's Oi Hockey Stadium.
Becoming just the seventh Australian man to play in four Olympic Games, Ockenden extended his national appearance record to 373 and claimed an assist as goals from Tim Brand, Tom Craig, Blake Govers, Aran Zalewski and Daniel Beale ensured a winning start.
"Over the last four years we've had a real change and have got a really young group now," said the Hobart-born 34-year-old," he said.
"The younger generation is definitely very unique so we've had a generational shift in my time.
"That's something really interesting to see.
"We're just a group of guys who love playing hockey and we really enjoy being around each other.
"I don't think that's unique from my experience in the Kookaburras but the thing for me is just that youthful, young group coming through is really positive and really exciting to see in hockey.
"That for me has stood out over the last three or four years: their development and how they've come into the team and made us better."
Ockenden, who has two bronze medals and a sixth-placed finish from his previous Olympic campaigns plus multiple World Cup, World League, Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games titles, said the fixture was a good way to start the Kookaburras' campaign.
"I love playing the host nation. It's always really cool that you have that little bit more interest and support," he said.
We're just a group of guys who love playing hockey and we really enjoy being around each other
- Eddie Ockenden
"We're always hopeful. I've been to four Olympics now (and) having that experience for me, every time it's been exciting, a completely different team, a different feeling, a different everything.
"We've been expecting to do well and I think any hockey tournament the Kookaburras go to, for ourselves we want to do it, we want to go there and win.
"We love to play against the best teams and challenge ourselves."
Fellow Hobart talent Josh Beltz did not feature but will be hoping to make his Olympic debut when the Kookaburras face India in their second Pool A fixture on Sunday at 7.30pm followed by matches against Argentina (Tuesday, 10.30am), New Zealand (Wednesday, 8pm) and Spain (Friday, 11am).
Third for eight
Facing the two nations that have won the last six Olympic titles proved too much for Sarah Hawe and her Australian crewmates who will need to contest the repechage in the women's eight.
Forecast high winds predicted to create "unequal and potentially unrowable racing conditions" on Monday had seen the heats brought forward on the Sea Forest Waterway program and the reschedule did the Aussies no favours.
USA, which added Olympic gold to world championship victory in the event in Beijing, London and Rio, finished ahead of Romania, which won in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens and has collected a record nine medals in the event, with Australia more than 10 seconds off the pace.
Hawe and fellow debutants Katrina Werry, Georgie Rowe, Bronwyn Cox, Giorgia Patten and coxswain James Rook (the first male to cox an Australian women's Olympic eight) joined Rio Olympians Genevieve Horton, Molly Goodman and Olympia Aldersey hoping to build on the boat's silver medal behind New Zealand at the 2019 world championships.
The tallest member of the Australian rowing squad, Hawe was in the central five seat having been a member of the four which claimed two gold medals and one silver from the last three world championships.
Celebrating her 34th birthday on the day of the Opening Ceremony, Hawe, who represents Huon RC, featured in Rowing Australia's athlete spotlight.
"Not only does she bring physical prowess to the boat but as the most senior athlete on the team, she brings experience and maturity to her racing," it said.
A qualified and practicing veterinarian, (she) says that her occupation gives her life experience and has taught her how to manage different situations and people, helping her rowing in crews. An outstanding oarswoman with a glittering medal history."
In the other heat, the reigning world champ New Zealand just pipped Canada with China third and Great Britain a distant fourth.
With only heat winners New Zealand and USA progressing directly to Friday's A-final (11.05am), the remaining crews of Australia, Canada, Romania, China and GB will contest the repechage on Wednesday, from 11.30am.
Pontoon draw
Jake Birtwhistle landed a favourable result when the draw was made for pontoon positions at the start of Monday's individual triathlon.
Positions at Odaiba Marine Park were chosen in order of the athletes' Olympic ranking, with competitors seeking the straightest swimming line to the first buoy.
The two top-ranked athletes, Birtwhistle's regular training partners Mario Mola, of Spain, and France's Vincent Luis, chose the two spots furthest into the bay with the Tasmanian set to start three places to the right of Luis.
The race begins at 7.30am (AEST) with Launceston-born Birtwhistle, 26, also set to team up with Aaron Royle, Jaz Hedgeland and Ashleigh Gentle when the mixed relay team makes its Olympic debut on Saturday, July 31.
Incredible Hulk
Tasmania's contribution to next month's Paralympic Games has risen to three.
Australia's para-athletics team has been finalised with the addition of a further 24 selections, including Launceston's 2012 Paralympic champion Todd Hodgetts.
The Melbourne-based 33-year-old Newstead Athletics member, nicknamed The Hulk, who set a world record in winning the men's F20 shot put in London before adding a bronze in Rio, helps bring the total size of Australia's athletics representation at the Tokyo Games to 36.
Forth's Deon Kenzie, who won a silver medal in the T38 1500m in Rio de Janeiro and a gold at the 2017 World Para-athletics Championships in London, was announced in September.
Launceston rower Alexandra Viney has also been selected in the PR3 mixed coxed four.
THE STORY SO FAR:
- Nathaniel Atkinson (men's soccer): d Argentina 2-0
- Eddie Ockenden, Josh Beltz (men's hockey): d Japan 5-3
- Sarah Hawe (rowing): women's eights, 3rd in heat
COMING UP
Sunday, July 25
- 2pm C1 heats (Watkins)
- 6.20pm Boomers v Nigeria (Goulding)
- 7.30pm Kookaburras v India (Ockenden, Beltz)
- 8.30pm Olyroos v Spain (Atkinson)
- 9.39pm 400m freestyle heats (Titmus)