Sport
11 August, 2024
Our own gold medallist
On the other side of the world to all the action in France, Mount Rascal 17-year-old Lien Dekeyser has won a gold medal in Malaysia as part of the Australian Under 19 Women’s underwater hockey team.
Lien, a year 12 student at Toowoomba Anglican School, plays for the Toowoomba Redclaws Underwater Hockey Club.
Lien was the only Toowoomba player in the team of 12, and one of three Queensland Under 19 Women’s players.
This was the first time ever for Australia to win a gold medal at the Age Group World Championships.
Australia has the most gold medals across men’s and women’s all ages (known as elite) world championships, which first took place in 1980.
New Zealand, South Africa and France are also very competitive in the sport.
Underwater hockey involves two teams competing to manoeuvre a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opposing team’s goal by propelling it with a hockey stick.
Players use a diving mask, snorkel and flippers to help move around under water.
Lien started playing underwater hockey eight years ago and has grown in the sport along the way.
She said she was very excited when her team won the World Championships.
“The whole team was cheering and laughing. It felt amazing that our hard work and dedication to training allowed us to win gold,” Lien said.
“It will forever be one of my favourite memories to have everyone cheering for us at the end of the game.”
Previously, Lien has competed in State and National competitions and had her first international experience at the Trans-Tasman competition last year.
This world’s competition was a big step up, both in training and selection requirements as well as in the level of the opposing teams.
