Just 13 months since the 2015 EuroHockey Youth Championships, Timm Herzbruch has added an Olympic bronze medal to his the gold he won in Santander.
Speaking about his meteoric rise from the youth ranks up to the top of the game, winning a European indoor championships into the bargain, the 18-year-old said he can scarcely believe how the last years has gone.
“I only came into the squad seven months ago so it’s unbelievable to do this in my first Olympics and to get the bronze. I am so happy,” he said.
“Last year, I didn’t have any idea I would even be part of the A squad with 29 men and to be here now, it’s just incredible.”
Reflecting on the match itself, Herzbruch scored in the shoot-out and he felt that Germany were good value for the victory on the day.
“I think it was the best performance from us today in the tournament. At crunch time, we were on top and in the shoot-out and the whole game, we had more chances and were better in the defence.”
On the flip side, Jorrit Croon – who turned 18 during the tournament – scored a superb individual goal for the Netherlands in what was his first senior international tournament, too but he ended up on the losing side after the shoot-out in the bronze medal match.
“I can’t describe my feelings right now. It’s so, so shit that we lost this one. We need to step up; we came here as a team and we need to leave as a team.
“I hope to be here at the Olympic Games again in four years again. I’m going to do my best the next four years to be a better Jorrit Croon and to win a medal for the Netherlands.”