Hannah French went under the surgeon’s knife just a week before being selected for her second Olympic Games.

French feared the worst when she broke her thumb in an FIH Pro League game a few days before selection of the 16-strong squad for Paris was finalised. 

“It was devastating, obviously,” she admitted. “But you’ve got to control what you can control and the Olympics wasn’t off the table yet for me.”

French was rushed through surgery and at the time of her announcement in the Team GB squad, was yet to pick up a stick in training. 

She will not feature in the upcoming round of FIH Pro League games in Utrecht, Netherlands, instead remaining in the UK to undergo rehab.

French scored 55 goals in her first 142 international games, making her one of the sharpest shooters in the women’s squad.

Her ruthlessness in front of goal has only grown while working under head coach David Ralph and, in particular, assistant coach Katie Glynn.

“Goalscoring is an area of my game that has evolved and improved,” said French. 

“Katie is hugely attack-minded and has helped me a lot with my work around the goal, my positioning as well as all the technical points around shot selection.

“That’s been a real advancement in my game in the seven or eight years I’ve been on the programme.”

French is one of ten in the Paris squad who helped Team GB win bronze at Tokyo 2020, the third successive Games in which they have reached the podium in women’s hockey. Six players are making their Olympic debuts.

Playing with England, French finished a disappointing eighth at the 2022 World Cup but captured gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster cycle,” said French. “There have been some interesting ups and downs. We’ve had some amazing highs, particularly the Commonwealth Games.

“It is a super talented team with some great youngsters coming up and pushing all of the senior athletes and we play an exciting brand of hockey. We want to press high and counter quickly, we’re just hoping we can implement that over the summer.”

French’s hockey journey has been intertwined with that of her brother Harry, who featured in men's hockey at the London 2012 Olympics, with her family set to be out in force in Paris.

Aldi’s Nearest & Dearest programme helps maximise support and minimise potential distractions for athletes so that they can focus on their performance and make the most of the unique opportunity to compete on one of the world’s largest stages.

“It will mean so much to have my family there,” said French. “To have an Olympics where we can share these moments with those closest to us will be incredibly special.

“We play hockey to put on a show and compete so I’m really excited for the opportunity to have my friends and family there.” 

Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024