By Elise Hamersley

Sarah Jones is ready to extend Team GB's hockey legacy at Paris 2024.

The 34-year-old from Cardiff was part of the women's hockey squad that won bronze for Team GB at Tokyo 2020 with a dramatic 4-3 win over India.

That medal documented a third consecutive Olympic medal for Team GB's women's hockey squad, with bronze at London 2012 and a golden moment four years later at Rio 2016.

Jones knows that despite the overall aim being to continue the medal run, the fruitful legacy of women's hockey at the Olympics has been ensured through a new wave of fresh talent in the squad.

"Ultimately we want to win a medal," she said. "We know that we have a legacy of winning three medals at the last three Games and anything less than that will be disappointing however I think it’s not as straight forward as that.

"But what’s really important is whilst some members of the team would’ve been to the previous Olympics, some of us haven’t so it really is a totally new team.

"There’s no expectation that we repeat that, because frankly it is a new team, a new group. We have a new coach and we now have a new head coach as well.

"We enjoy the pressure of that legacy but I don’t think it’s an expectation that we will medal.

"It’s a new group with new goals and we’ll go out there and play the best we can.

"I think the team is really talented. We have a couple of young ones that have come in this cycle and you can just see the talent they possess. But I think that we have people that are reaching the top of their game at just the right time."

Team GB women play their first pool game against Spain on Sunday 28th August before tackling Australia, Argentina, United States and South Africa.

For Wimbledon Hockey Club star Jones, who made her GB squad debut post-Rio 2016, Paris is not just about competing with hockey's elite, it's also about soaking up the Olympic atmosphere as one of the more experienced members on the team.

With the added bonus of crowds to fill out the Yves du Manoir Stadium, Jones is ready to step up and carve her own legacy on the Olympic stage.

"We want to show off the hockey we know we can bring to the pitch," she said. "That’s about playing flowing hockey, fast-paced and being a team that looks like we have a lot of energy.

"We also want to make sure that we have that we’re a part of that wider Team GB and are proud of how we act around the village. That’s something that as a culture we’ve built as a team.

"As I’ve got older I think you’re more aware that you have less and less opportunity to go and play in front of a crowd of however many on a world stage and enjoy experiences like this.

"I certainly am aware that I’m running out of time and that this is the time to really enjoy and step up for the team."

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